Truth Unexpected
by T.RxD
Summary: Rose doesn't like combat instructor, Guardian Belikov. She certainly doesn't appreciate his teaching methods or cruel punishments! What happens when her current punishment requires Rose to spend one-on-one time with hard-ass Belikov? This is a reimagining of VA with slightly different plot lines and twists, including your favourite (and not so favourite) characters from the series!
1. Chapter 1 (Re-uploaded)

**Re-uploaded (not sure why it didn't work the first time!)**

**Hope you enjoy the story and let me know what you think :) **

Chapter 1

"Rose, looking good," Mason smiles appreciatively, eyeing me from top to bottom. My lips twitch, holding back a laugh. I look down at my oversized hoodie and jeans and then back up, giving him a questioning look. "Come on, you look just about good in anything," he laughs in response. "Even in this big ass hoodie," he says, tugging on the strings.

I wrap an arm around his waist in a half hug. "You're sweet, Mase," I smile before letting go.

"Just calling it like I see it," he shrugs. "Come on. Now that you're here we can officially get this party started." With his arm around my shoulders, he guides me through the crowd of St Vladimir students, moroi and dhampir alike. I nod in greeting to other seniors as we pass and hug those closer to me.

A cup of coke is shoved into my hands. I take a whiff and smell the alcohol. "No thanks," I say, shoving the cup back to Mason.

"Oh, come on, Rose! You're no fun," Mason jokes. "A little won't kill you."

I shake my head. "I don't drink," I say, glancing over at Lissa, who's sitting on Christian's lap. Christian whispers something in her ear making her laugh before she takes a sip from her cup. I feel her contentment through our bond and I smile to myself.

Turning away, I jump up and take a seat on the desk. Mason follows my lead, seating himself beside me.

"Urgh, Psycho 3 at 11 o'clock," Mason grumbles. I look over at the three that have just entered: Jesse Reads, Mia Rinaldi and Ralph Clemens. They are senior novices like me.

Jesse Reads (the leader) walks through the crowd with a certain air of superiority. One look at that golden-haired tool makes me want to punch that smirk off his face. To think, in freshman year, I'd fallen for that dimpled smile and unsophisticated charm. I shudder at the thought. I eventually saw his true colours once he tried forcefully getting me to sleep with him. I smirk at the memory of shoving the heel of my hands to his nose and kneeing him in the balls. Neither one of us has seen eye to eye since.

Then there's Mia Rinaldi (the bitch). She's always been jealous of the fact that I was the best in our class. She's never come close to beating me during our match ups and she's one hell of a sore loser. Add to the fact she's always had a thing for Jesse, who in turn had a thing for _me_, certainly bruised her ego a bit.

Finally, we have Ralph Clemens (the follower). I had nothing against him personally, except for the undeniable fact that he had no individual thought in that minuscule brain of his whatsoever. Therefore, since the end of freshman year, he's been an arse towards me because Jesse's been an arse towards me.

They were aptly named the 'Psycho 3' after Mia Rinaldi had gone ballistic during a combat class the year before after losing a match up against another novice. That fight had determined the end of year grades, which were carried onto our final year. You see, if by the end of senior year, you are not in the top 10 percentile of your class you are unlikely to be placed at court to guard the royal moroi. Being a royal guard was a luxury. You got to live a lavish lifestyle during your hours or days off guard duty. The Psycho 3 would quite possibly kill to be in that position. I personally knew I'd be guarding Lissa – the last in the Dragomir line and my best friend. Besides, I was already at the top of my class so I didn't have much to worry about.

"Do you reckon Mia's screwing Jesse _and _Ralph?" Mason asks with a smirk.

"I don't reckon. I _know_ she's screwing them both. Probably at the same time," I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly. Mason barks out a laugh. "See," I nudge Mason's shoulder, "look at the way Mia's grinding on Ralph but she's looking at Jesse while she does it." I shiver, disgusted.

"Holy shit," Mason whispers, "you're right!"

We talk some more and then hop off the desk to dance for a while. I laugh as Mason shows off his epically awful dance moves. Suddenly, I hear Lissa by my side, singing the latest Bruno Mars song to me. I wrap an arm around her and we sing together whilst giggling the whole while.

"Shit!" someone shouts. "Guards!"

The few seniors left at the party panic and start running for the door, leaving cups chaotically scattered in their wake.

I survey my options. Option number 1: through the door everyone is shuffling through right this second. This door leads to the dorm hallway and at the end of that hallway is likely to be a rushing surge of guardians cornering all the students. Option number 2: to the left of the room there's a door leading to the en suite. I know from previous knowledge that there is a small narrow window in there, too small to fit through. Option number 3: the window.

I run over to the window, which is already opened a crack. I push it out further and peer down at the very small ledge. Even further down, 3 floors down to be precise, are some very scraggly looking bushes. I internally wince at the thought of falling into those. I can hear voices growing louder as the guardians outside in the hallway corner my friends. My heart beats a little faster. I focus back on my escape. Okay, the ledge continues to the right and a few feet away I see the fire escape ladder. Bingo!

I place my right foot on the ledge, closely followed by my left foot. I stand up and place my palms and back to the building. "Holy shit!" I breathe, looking down. _Don't look down_! I scream internally. I feel the cool night air against my skin and have the horrible sensation of floating in the air, as if any moment I could plummet to my death. Ok, I had good enough reflexes that I knew I wouldn't die, but it would seriously hurt. I start shuffling excruciatingly slow to the right. I gulp. I can feel the back of my neck damp with sweat. Keep going, nearly there, I encourage myself.

After what feels like an hour, but was probably only a minute or so, I feel the cool metal of the fire escape ladder at the tips of my fingers. I grab onto the metal with one hand and swing my body onto the ladder. I let out a long breath that I hadn't known I'd been holding, relieved. After a few more seconds, I reach the bottom and jump the few short feet onto the damp grass.

I keep crouched and study my surroundings. Deadly quiet. I snigger to myself and pull my hood over my head. I stealthily walk over to the corner of the building and sneak a peek at the other side. There are two guards on duty, walking around the premises. I may have to camp out in the bushes until the coast is clear. "Damn," I whisper.

"Indeed," says a deep voice from behind me.

My entire body stiffens. Slowly I turn around. I am greeted by the one guardian I had most hoped not to come across. Guardian Belikov stands in front of me, in all his 6ft 6 glory, arms crossed at his chest, feet apart and looking every bit as badass as the stories go. My eyes reach his face to find his hard expression and brown eyes staring deep into mine.

"You know, I'd say it took you around 2 minutes to reach that fire escape," he says casually, but I am not fooled. I am going to have hell to pay for this act of rule breaking. "Your technique was good, your shoulders and back were straight against the building. What cost you was the number of times you kept looking down." I glare over at the offending window and ledge, realising to my great horror and embarrassment that Belikov had been watching the entire time. My cheeks burn at the thought. "I'd say you could've cut your time down to 30 seconds if you'd kept your focus."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind for next time," I can't help retort. Trust Belikov to give me pointers on the correct techniques of escape whilst reprimanding me.

He quirks his eyebrows. "That attitude of yours could also use a few adjustments."

"I respectfully disagree."

Lucky for me, he ignores my last retort and carries on. "You will write me a one-thousand-word report on the appropriate techniques of escape, referencing the Harbour's Method of Surveillance," he spouts, his tone very business-like. I drop my eyes to his shoulders, attempting to burn a hole through that black sweater of his. "You will also write me an additional 500 words," I splutter and attempt a retort but he continues over me, "on the importance of a school curfew and why rules must not be broken. Both to be due in by the end of the week. Meet me tomorrow at 6 before school."

"Why?" I ask stonily.

"You will run seven miles every day before the start of school for the rest of the week."

"What?" I shout. "Why? You're already making me do two reports! Why do I have to go running?!" Embarrassingly, I stamp my foot like a petulant five-year-old.

"Would you like to make it a two-thousand-word report and ten miles?" he replies unaffectedly. I clamp my mouth shut and decide a response is not required.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

My lungs burn as I continue the excruciating laps on the school grounds. Two more to go, I think desperately. Although I'm kick ass in combat classes (ask any of the other novices), running still becomes difficult without keeping up with it consistently enough.

"Slow your pace down, you're burning up all your energy and you still have two miles to go," Belikov instructs beside me, completely at ease with the pace I'm taking. Grudgingly I slow my pace, knowing he's right and he slows down with me.

I was surprised when Belikov joined me in running. I thought he'd simply wait in the stands for me to finish. I was annoyed with his joining me at first, but after a while I realised having him run beside me made it easier. It spurred me on and he helped me keep my pace. For the most part we jog in silence, only our breathing to be heard.

"How's the report coming along?" he asks me during the final lap.

"Great," I breathe, "I've… written… the… title," I manage to huff out. I'm lying. I haven't even done that. I can almost feel his disapproving gaze even though he continues staring straight ahead. Thankfully he remains silent.

After what feels like an eternity, finally I've completed the seven miles. I fall onto the grass and lie on my back, breathing heavily. Suddenly a water bottle is thrust into my face. I grab it with the intention of drinking from it but my arm flops back to the ground. I hear a quiet chuckle, a sound I'd never heard coming from the illustrious Belikov before, and then feel strong hands on my own. I'm pulled into a seated position. I've never seen him look so… relaxed. It's disconcerting.

"Drink," Belikov breathes out, also trying to get his own breath back. I notice the light sheen of perspiration on his neck as he gulps down some water. He puts his water bottle down and suddenly his eyes fix on mine pointedly. I quickly look away, realising I'd been staring. I feel my cheeks heat up. I gulp down some of my own water, hoping it'll cool me down.

I chance another look at Belikov while his attention is focussed in the opposite direction towards the forest. I take the time to really look at him. He's wearing a thin black sweater that clings to his muscles like a second skin. I can outline the contours in his back and stomach. He wears grey joggers, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Then I notice the colour of his hair as he pushes it away from his face. It's a gorgeous dark brown with streaks of a browny-red through it. I note how his jaw has a slight stubble. I wonder what it would feel like to run my fingers against it.

"You know it'll get easier," his voice shatters my thoughts and my head snaps away, hoping he didn't catch me staring at him for a second time!

"Hmm?"

"The miles, Hathaway. By Thursday you'll find it's much easier."

"Good to know." I jump up and rub off the grass from my butt. Remembering that I'll have to repeat the miles throughout the week brings back my foul mood. "See you in class, Guardian Belikov," I say, looking in his general direction. He nods briefly, dismissing me.

"I'm shattered," I say gloomily as I take a seat at the breakfast bar. Christian laughs and I glare back. I only put up with him because of Lissa.

"How did it go?" Lissa asks sympathetically.

"A seven-mile run at six in the morning. Piece of cake," I reply sarcastically. Through our bond I can feel she's genuinely concerned about me. I shrug my shoulders and smile at her, hoping to appease her.

Strong arms wrap around my shoulders. Mason takes a seat beside me. "Hey Hathaway," he says, "heard about Belikov. Sucks," he smiles at me sympathetically.

"That it does, Mase. That it does," I sigh. "How did _you _get away last night?"

Mason smirks, smug. "Managed to turn into a dark corner just as the guardians came down. Sneaked away once they were clear out of sight." Urgh, had I been closer to the door that could've been me! "Doesn't matter though," Mason continues, his smile vanishing. "I'm pretty sure Belikov's gonna be pissed with everyone today."

Turns out Mason was right.

"So yesterday, quite a few number of you were found out of dorms after curfew. Not only were you found out after curfew, you were also found at the moroi dorms," Belikov's voice is quiet, lethal. We all stand before him in a straight line, hands behinds our backs, staring straight ahead. He takes his time to stare at each of us novices. You could hear a pin drop; the tension was palpable. "May I remind you," his raspy voice grows loud, "that rules are there for a reason. Were strigoi to attack, you would have all been vulnerable and you would have placed our moroi charges in danger too."

"We can take on strigoi," a novice by the name of Daniel Pikes quips defiantly. I roll my eyes.

Belikov stills, his demeanour turns deadly. With arms crossed at his chest, he slowly walks over to Pikes. He stops in front of the novice, towering over him. "What did you say?" Belikov asks quietly, bending his head forwards to get a better look at him. I cover my smirk as I watch Pikes visibly swallow.

Pike clears his throat and replies, "I think," he pauses and gulps, "I think we can take on strigoi," he finishes in a wavering voice. Real confident! I bite my lip, holding in my laugh.

"You _think_ you can take on strigoi or you _can_ take on strigoi?" Silence. "Well, which is it?" Belikov's voice booms across the gym. Hell, even _I_ flinch.

"We can," splutters Pikes. "We can take on strigoi."

"I see," Belikov nods his head and seems to appraise Pikes. "Okay, let's see what you've got, Pikes," Belikov says as he makes his way to the spar mats. He stops in the middle and awaits Pikes, who visibly stills.

"Sir?" Pikes asks as he looks at the mat and then back at Belikov.

"Come on, Pikes. Get on the mats. We're sparring."

There's an intake of breath from the novices. I can hear some coughs as a few novices try to mask their laughs. Pikes' ears are bright red by this point. I snort and, like others, cover it with a cough. Some novices look on sympathetically.

Pikes grudgingly shuffles over to the mats while Belikov pulls his sweater over his head to reveal a black vest. Pikes takes a deep breath. They both get into their stances and start circling each other. Before Pikes can even make a move, Belikov punches his fist into Pikes' chest. Pikes poorly deflects before crashing into the maths, Belikov firmly has his fingers wrapped around his neck.

"Dead," Belikov states, before rising back up to face the rest of us. We all straighten up once again. "Let's keep in mind strigoi are much faster, stronger and have keener senses than us. Hence why it's so important that we always remain vigilant." Belikov looks at each one of us before continuing. "I understand that not all of you were there last night, however," he stresses, "in the real world you are not working alone. You are working in pairs or in a team. If one of you messes up then you let everyone down, not just yourself. Let this be a lesson to all of you." There is a short silence to let this sink in. "Now, since you wasted your time last night, we're going to waste your time today. For the remainder of this lesson you will all be doing suicides."

"Oh fuck," I whisper, but my voice still carries over.

"Got something to say, Hathaway?" Belikov quirks an eyebrow.

"Nope," I respond immediately, shaking my head. Like I haven't already done enough running today, _asshole!_ I yell in my head.

By the end of the lesson, I'm back to my earlier state: lying on the floor, breathing heavily. Like déjà vu, a water bottle is thrust into my face.

"Good job," I hear Belikov's deep voice. His hands tap my shoulders and then he walks to the other guardians.

As I stand up a hard chest slams into my back. "This is on you, Hathaway," Jesse snarls. "Bitch," I hear Mia mumble as the Psychos walk past me. I grit my teeth and force myself to not retaliate. There are a tonne of guards around, after all, and I'm already paying for last night. Grudgingly, I turn my back on their retreating figures and head for the showers.


	3. Chapter 3

**A massive thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed and favourited! :)**

**Enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!**

**P.s. sorry for constantly having to re-upload, I don't understand why sometimes it works fine and other times it doesn't! **

Chapter 3

My breathing is heavy as I urge my legs and lungs to carry on. My throat is dry but I can't reach for water until the end of this mile. I can hear Belikov's short sharp breaths beside me and I focus my attention on that.

"Just one mile left to go, Hathaway." I grunt in response. By this point, my legs and lungs are screaming at me. I refuse to slow my pace. If anything, I pick it up a notch. Again, I focus on Belikov's breathing to help with my own. I need all the oxygen I can get to circle around my blood stream through to my muscles.

"Come on," I mutter. My legs speed up just a little. Finally finished!

Instead of falling to the ground, like yesterday, I place my hands on my knees.

"Feel better than before?" Belikov asks, handing me a water bottle.

"No." Even though this is a new side to Belikov I'm seeing, a more approachable side, I still can't help be pissed at him. He is the one, after all, who put me in this position. It didn't help that yesterday I was doing a whole lot of running and I couldn't even relax at the end of the day because I had to start on _one_ out of my _two_ reports he'd set me.

Despite all this, I'm lying. I feel a fraction better than the day before.

From my peripheral, I can see one side of Belikov's mouth twitch up the tiniest amount at my response. "You don't know it yet, but you're getting better," he says approvingly. "Hit the showers, Hathaway. I'll see you in class." Without so much as a glance my way he is off.

I glare at his retreating figure, grudgingly admiring his physique. The black jersey he has on sticks to his back with sweat. Even from a distance I notice him flipping his hair back from his face. I feel my heart skip a beat. I swallow and immediately look away.

We all gather around the spar mats, surrounding Belikov. He stands in the middle, flipping his silver stake in the air and catching it effortlessly with one hand. "Now," he says, spinning the silver stake in his hand, "you've all been training with silver stakes for a few weeks now. It's time we up the ante." There's a moment of silence. I can see sparks in Belikov's eyes. I dread what he has in store for us today. "You see, when you're fighting against a strigoi you might have faced three or four strigoi before you reach this particular one. You're gonna be tired out. Your arms and legs are aching. You can feel blood trickling down your face," he drags the sharp end of the silver stake down the side of his face. "Your kicks and punches aren't half as powerful as they were when you fought that first strigoi. All you have for energy is that adrenaline coursing through your system. The only way you have any chance against the fifth strigoi is harnessing that extra energy." Belikov taps his temple with two fingers, "Make your brain _believe_ you're as prepared for this strigoi as you were with the first, as much as it's screaming at you to give up. That is… if you've survived up until this point," he adds nonchalantly.

While Belikov lets this sink in I watch his tongue flick out to lick his bottom lip. He sucks on his bottom lip for a second and then lets go. A shiver runs down my back. I cough and look down at my feet.

"Suicides!" barks Belikov. My head snaps up. "20 minutes. Then we'll pair up." My eyes find Mason's from across the room. He raises his eyebrows at me and mouths 'fuck'. I nod my head in agreement, cursing Belikov internally. "What are you waiting for?! Line up. Suicides. Now!"

I jog over to the base line, readying myself. Once we're all in position I hear the whistle. I sprint to the next like. Turn around to run back to the base line. Then sprint to the furthest line and back down again. Within 10 minutes, my legs are aching, sweat drips down my back. I start slowing down with each sprint. All I can hear are the squeaks of sneakers against the gym floor.

"Come on, Hathaway!" Belikov yells. "You need to be quicker than that."

"Easy for you to say," I quip before I can stop myself.

Without as much as a blink… "Hathaway, come stand here," he gestures to the space next to him. Once I've made my way to stand beside him, Belikov blows his whistle. Everyone stops and looks his way. Many novices double over, catching their breath. "Hathaway here is having a little difficulty keeping pace. So how about we let her sit this one out," he says with mock sympathy. "5 extra minutes," he shouts. Before anyone can so much as grumble, he blows the whistle once more.

I don't need to look to feel the glares of all the novices on me before they continue their now much harder task. My hands close into fists and I close my eyes to calm myself. I can't stop my legs from shaking in anger.

Without thinking, I face Belikov. "You didn't give me a chance! You know I can keep pace and finish those suicides!" I yell, my breathing laboured. Belikov looks down at me calmly, not the least bit surprised by my outburst.

"I know you could have finished those suicides, Hathaway. It's that mouth of yours," his eyes briefly flick down to my mouth before meeting my gaze again. "Always getting yourself into trouble."

"That was me holding back," I say, instantly proving his point.

"Drop and give me 30," Belikov replies, unfazed.

Damn it! I drop to the floor, getting into push up position. As with the running, Belikov surprises me by taking his own position beside me.

"Arms further apart," he instructs, barely glancing my way.

I start my first push up and Belikov follows.

"One," he counts, "two… three… four…"

By twenty-two, I'm seriously struggling. My earlier exhaustion from the morning run and suicides catching up to me. I grunt, trying to bring my body down. Suddenly, I feel a warm hand on my lower back and the gentlest pressure. I nearly collapse right there!

"Focus," Belikov urges quietly beside me. With his hand on my back, he continues holding his own weight with his left arm. I gulp, trying to ignore the heat from his hand. Focus! I manage another push up and then another. "Good," Belikov says, taking his hand back. I try to ignore the sudden chill without the warmth of his hand.

Once I'm finished, Belikov grabs my hand to help me stand up. His hands are rough but firm against mine. He releases my hand the instant I'm up.

"Look, Hathaway," he crosses his arms at his chest and tilts his head to gain better eye contact. "You're at the top of your class, you're brilliant at combat and one of the few novices here who stands a decent chance against a group of strigoi. But… you need to clamp down on that attitude of yours," he shakes his head disapprovingly. "Don't get me wrong… you're feisty, I like it," Belikov very briefly smirks and my heart flutters, "but I'm worried it's going to get you into a heck of a lot of trouble in the real world," he says, pointing towards the window. "Your voice is your strength, however, it's also your biggest weakness. Say the wrong thing to a strigoi and they can snap your pretty little neck like that," he clicks his fingers. "Say the right thing, being _careful_ with your words… now that's an asset. It can buy you time, buy your moroi time to be saved. Do you understand me, Hathaway?" he asks, raising his eyebrows.

"I never thought of it like that," I respond quietly. "I take your point."

Belikov nods his head and, without further comment, turns around to blow his whistle. He calls out the pairs and we find a mat to spar on without any time to catch our breaths.

Unfortunately, and to my great annoyance, I'm paired with Jesse.

"Enjoy the view today?" he asks, wryly.

"What?" I narrow my eyes, not understanding the question.

"I saw you earlier, checking out Belikov," he smirks, looking over at Belikov. "And don't think I didn't notice," his voice drops, "the way you were cosying up to him just now, while _we_ pay for _your_ incompetence." He now glares at me.

"Fuck you, Reads," I growl back.

"Reads, Hathaway!" barks Stan Alto, another of our combat instructors. "Get moving!"

Without further ado, we get into our stances. We circle each other for a few seconds, my gaze fixed on Jesse's icy stare. I clutch my plastic stake (we're not allowed to use silver stakes until after graduation for health and safety reasons – something I thoroughly resent in this moment) tighter in my right hand, remembering his insinuation about me and Belikov. There is no way I'm letting him win this fight!

My eyes flick to his wrists, taking me a millisecond to react to his attack. I immediately block his punch with my right arm, while my left elbow connects roughly with his unprotected neck. I return to my original stance and circle him as he finds his balance again, rubbing his neck and shooting daggers my way.

"Come on, Jesse," I laugh. "Combat 101: keep your neck protected."

This comment seems to infuriate him further. He aims a few more blows my way, which I can effortlessly deflect. I notice his breathing becoming more and more laboured. It's obvious he is itching to get a hit on me. I use this to my advantage, aggravating him further by not taking the offensive.

My plan is simple, wait it out. An opponent like Jesse will always take on the offensive; they hit and hit and hit until eventually and inevitably they make a vital mistake. The second his chest is left unprotected I can make my claim. The more tired Jesse becomes the more careless his blows become. I bounce from one foot to the other, arms and fists up, conserving my energy. Another kick is aimed my way. I'm able to duck and use this opportunity to finally push my stake into his chest.

As always, once the match is over, I step back. Before I can so much as smirk at my victory, Jesse shouts, "Fucking whore!", lets out a battle cry and rushes at me like a bull on steroids.

I don't allow his shoulders to connect with mine, taking out both my hands and shoving him away forcefully. Jesse doesn't let up. His fist connects painfully with my jaw and I stumble back.

"Son of a bitch!" I spit and punch him right back on his left cheekbone. Satisfyingly, blood oozes out the slit I've created in his cheek. As I'm aiming lucky punch number two, I feel strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me away. I'm growling and thrashing against my subduer, trying to claw my way back to that psycho prick. Another guard is pulling him away too, shouting, "Break it up! That's enough!"

I see Belikov walk up to stand in between us, arms at his sides, muscles bulging. The glare he sends our way can cut through steel.

"Reads, trenches," he barks, pointing outside. "Hathaway, suicides. Now!"

Hits above the neck are completely out of bounds and we both know it.

Without complaint, I start towards the base line. I stop briefly, noticing Belikov grab Jesse's sweater and pull him towards him until their faces are inches apart. Belikov clenches his jaw as he speaks in a deadly quiet voice, too quiet for me to make out from here. Jesse gulps visibly and nods his head. Then Belikov pushes him away, gives him a disgusted look, before going back to the awaiting class.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

There's a small knock at my door. I furrow my eyebrows not having expected anyone. I finish the sentence on my report for Belikov before making my way to the door.

Lissa. I should have known. I've been so preoccupied today that I'd unintentionally managed to tamp down the bond between us. Seeing her now, I am flooded with all her emotions through our bond and I involuntarily take a step back. Through our bond, I can feel her worry and anxiety for me. Lissa's intense compassion always surprises me; how she somehow _feels_ all these raw emotions more than a normal person would. She hugs me before entering.

"I heard about your class today," she says, seating herself on my bed. I close the door and go back to my desk. "How are you?"

For any other person, this is simply a general question to ask someone, a safe way to instigate conversation. However, with Lissa she genuinely wants to know how I am.

"I'm okay, Liss. You don't need to worry," I smile at her, showing my appreciation for her concern. "Just another run in with Jesse. What's new?" I shrug.

Her eyes narrow in on my bruised jaw. "You're hurt," she states, looking upset.

"Liss, sometimes you forget I'm a guardian in training," I laugh. "This," I point at my jaw, "is nothing."

Lissa doesn't look convinced. "It's not nothing," she says, her voice rising uncharacteristically. "Him, Mia, Ralph? They can't keep doing this to you!"

"You make it sound like this is a usual occurrence. I can handle them, trust me. It's nothing to worry about," I assure her using a calming voice. "How's spirit classes coming along?" I ask, changing the subject. I can tell, through the bond, Lissa isn't going to forget this but for now she allows for the subject change.

"Slow," she sighs. "Well, Adrian's doing well with the healing," she smiles; she's pleased although I detect a hint of jealousy. "It's me. I still haven't gotten the hang of auras." Lissa is a perfectionist. Her facial expression gives way to her frustration. I can tell this is hard for her even without our bond. Her eyes narrow and circle around me. I can tell she's trying to identify my aura. "Urgh," she smacks her head. "It's like there's some sort of… physical barrier. It's just a light haze but no colours are there to signify anything."

"Well, that's something," I say encouragingly. "It's still early days, Liss. Stop being so hard on yourself."

"Come on," she says abruptly, ignoring me and standing up to make her way towards me. "Let me heal you."

"What? Liss, no," I shake my head and back my chair away.

"Why not?"

"I don't want you wasting your energy on me," I say. It's only half the truth.

"I won't be wasting my energy," she scoffs.

"Besides, what would people say tomorrow if they see I'm healed? You're not allowed to use your spirit like this," I remind her.

"It's fine," she says, unfazed, waving her hands away. "You can tell them you've covered it up with makeup," she smiles cheekily.

"Liss…" I say imploringly.

"Rose," she says softly, turning serious. Her gaze fixes on the wall behind me. "I can't _not_ heal you, Rose. My hands…" I look down to see her clench and unclench her shaking fingers. "They're just itching for it. And my mind won't stop focussing on it. If I know I can do something to help, I _need_ for you to let me do it." Her jade green eyes now search mine.

"I don't need your help," I say slowly and quietly. "I'm not in any pain," I assure her.

"Please, Rose," she whispers, her eyes glossing over in unshed tears, sending a less than welcome shiver down my back.

It breaks me seeing her this way, not being able to control her need to save others – even when they don't need saving – and hurting herself in the process. Only, she didn't realise she was hurting herself. Through the bond, I know there's something not right with her exhausting her spirit. Until I understood more about what these negative repercussions could be, I was going to keep this tid bit to myself.

I sigh and eventually nod my head. I remind myself this is a small injury and is unlikely to affect her much.

I'm lying to myself.

A rush of relief showers through our bond. Her fingers gently touch my jaw, her eyes close and she breathes in deeply. I feel the rush of pure happiness and joy for a split second. And then it's gone. Lissa steps back, smiling. I touch my jaw. Good as new.

"Thanks," I smile at her half-heartedly.

Liss doesn't seem to notice. Her brows furrow and if I didn't know any better I'd say she were looking at my aura.

"I could've sworn I saw…" she lingers off, confused.

"What?" I ask, sitting up straight.

"Smoke. Around you." Lissa looks back at me and smiles, waving it off. "I'm sure it's just the after effects of using spirit. It's playing with my mind."

"Yeah," I agree, "sure." I'm not convinced.

I wake up with aches and pains all over my body. I'm sore particularly in my arms after those damn push ups (I must not have warmed up well enough). I rub my eyes and stare at the ceiling for a full minute before painfully getting dressed and ready for my seven-mile run with Belikov. 'You're halfway there, Rose' I remind myself. With a last look at my warm bed and rumpled sheets I groan and head to the grounds.

Belikov's already there doing his stretches. Even from a distance I detect his hard expression and I'm reminded of the first time I met Belikov a few months back when he'd held a similar expression.

I had observed Belikov whilst Guardian Anderson had introduced him to the senior (dhampir) class as our new combat instructor. First, it was impossible to ignore his height and build. He was easily a foot taller than me at around 6ft 5 or 6. He wore a navy-blue hoodie, which didn't do much to hide his muscles or take away from his intimidating stance. It was also impossible to ignore how ruggedly handsome he was. His messy brown hair reached his chin, complemented with a dark stubble. Dark brown eyes perused the novices, almost as if he were analysing our capabilities and potential. I distinctly recall right at that moment my eyes zoning in on his tongue which flicked out to moisten his lips. (Future self: he does this a lot!)

When his eyes fell on me there was the tiniest twitch in his eyebrow, almost as if he had detected something he'd been looking for. Instead of his eyes passing over me, like he had the other novices, his eyes remained on mine. I hadn't been paying attention to Anderson's introduction. Observing Belikov, even from a distance, spoke volumes of his experience in the field. It was haunting. He was beautiful. Goosebumps lined my neck and arms as something passed between us.

At least I thought it had.

After the first combat lesson with him, feeling like I'd run a marathon whilst simultaneously contended in the world heavyweight championship, anything that I'd supposedly believed that had passed between us flew out the window.

I'd also later found out the reason for his stare when he'd first seen me. He had been searching for the novice who would later join him in guarding the last in the Dragomir line.

Down on the field, I reach Belikov, offering a small nod and start on my stretches. I notice from my peripheral vision Belikov's stalled with his own stretches and is staring at me. His stare burns me and I try to ignore it.

All of a sudden, he's walking towards me. He stands in front of me, so I stop and straighten up. My eyes slowly shift from his lips to his dark brown eyes; a quizzical look fixes on me. He is focussed on my jaw; his rough fingers graze my skin. A shiver runs down my spine and my breathing quickens.

"I distinctly remember Reads punching you here," Belikov says matter-of-factly, dropping his hand down to his side. The moment is shattered. One of his eyebrows arches up, asking me a silent question.

I avoid his stare, turning my head to look anywhere but at him.

"Princess Vasilisa." It's a statement, not a question. My silence is all the answer he needs. He sighs. Disappointment.

"Look," I finally speak, my voice is rough and I clear my throat. "I asked her not to heal me. I told her I wasn't in pain." Belikov listens, there's no sign of accusation in his expression so I continue. "You don't… understand," I shake my head, struggling to find the words.

"And you do?" he asks, not unkindly.

"When Lissa sees someone hurt… it's like her heard pulls towards that person. She's captivated. It's like tunnel vision… she can't focus on anything_ but_ that person's pain and hurt. Her heart just wants to relieve that person," I rush out my explanation, not realising how much I've given away until I've stopped talking.

"You seem to know what she's feeling pretty well," he notes.

"We're best friends," I shrug. He doesn't seem to buy my reasoning.

"Rose," he says softly, catching me off guard from his tone and use of my first name, which he's never done before. "You _would_ tell me if Princess Vasilisa is ever in trouble, won't you?" he asks, brown eyes boring into mine.

I blink a few times and avert my gaze.

"I'm her guardian, Rose," Belikov tilts his head to get a better look at me. "And one day, we're going to be working together to guard her. I have her best interests at heart and I _know_ you do too," his voice incredibly gentle. "I need to know if she's in any danger…" his voice wavering to a pause. "…even if she's in danger of herself." He's hit the nail on the head.

I'm shaking involuntarily.

"I promise," I whisper.

His eyes once again search mine. He must confirm I'm being honest, gives the briefest of smiles that makes my heart flutter. He nods imperceptibly and walks away from our invisible circle.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you to all the people who have reviewed, followed and favourited!**

**Please continue to show your support and let me know what you think at the end, it's a great motivation! :) **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter…**

Chapter 5

I'm sitting in the library.

(I know.)

Books surround me.

(I know.)

I hear the chairs opposite scrape against the floor.

"You know… I've almost missed you these last couple of days, Sparky." Christian gives me a weirded out look and shivers dramatically. "Almost," I smirk.

"God forbid either of you start caring for one another," says Adrian in an undertone, taking the seat beside me and Lissa, occupying the final seat opposite him.

"They do," smiles Lissa. "They just hide it poorly."

I scoff. Christian pretends to vomit – rather convincingly, I might add.

"How goes it, Rosie-Posy?" he asks eventually, referring to my Belikov report (which I've now taken to calling it).

"And you wonder why we don't get along?" I say to Adrian. Christian's been calling me 'Rosie-Posy' since he began dating Lissa a few months ago, knowing it aggravated the hell out of me. "Nearly finished, if you're really interested. Still have these stupid references to write up." I frustratingly flip to the inside cover of one of the research books.

"Yeah, referencing is a bitch," Adrian agrees sympathetically, pulling out his own notes and textbooks.

Adrian is currently doing a research paper for his final year on his findings on spirit, using experiences and experiments from him and Lissa, as well as using historical evidence. He attends the top private moroi university, there are 3 moroi universities altogether; 2 in the states and 1 in Russia. Of course, moroi who wish to continue onto higher education do attend human universities. A specialised degree at a moroi university, however, is highly prestigious among the moroi court. Most royal moroi attend these universities as it hardly makes a dent in their bank accounts!

All four of us fall into silence, immersed in our own tasks. After a while, I glimpse at Christian's work.

"Importance of health and safety in a classroom?" I snigger as I read the title of his essay. "What did you do?" I ask with a smirk.

Christian shrugs nonchalantly. "I may have set a certain psycho's paper on fire."

"What?" both Adrian and I stammer, shocked.

"What?" he replies innocently. Lissa, meanwhile, gives him a reproving look.

"Which psycho?" My eyes are wide with a wide grin on my face. "What they do?"

"Reads. You know, whatever he usually does to be an annoying arse," Christian says, avoiding eye contact and trying to continue with his essay.

"What is it? What did he do?" I ask, more serious now. Both Adrian and I are leaning closer towards him, clearly making him uncomfortable – and if you knew Christian, not much_ could_ make him uncomfortable.

"He was defending your honour, Rose," Lissa grins, green eyes twinkling. Christian glares at her.

"Aww… I _knew _you had a soft spot for her," Adrian croons.

"Christian?" I ask, brows furrowed, not believing it until I hear it from him!

"He just said some things, Rose. It's nothing."

"No, go on. What did he say?" Knowing Jesse and given Christian's response, it must have been pretty bad.

Finally, Christian sighs, dropping his pen. "He was talking with Ralph, calling you a 'bitch'," his eyes darken at this (Adrian's hands ball up into fists beside me), "and talking about how he's gonna make you pay. He wasn't joking, Rose. He seemed serious."

"That doesn't sound good," Adrian frowns.

"This is _Jesse_," I emphasize. "He's all talk. Total bullshit," I shake my head.

"It sounded like an actual threat, Rose." It's Christian's turn to lean forward, his expression completely serious.

My face softens. It's actually quite sweet to see him care this much for me. "I can handle Jesse," I smile reassuringly. "Thanks for… you know."

Christian shrugs it off. "Just be careful."

"What you talking about? I always am," I go back to my usual bravado, trying to lighten the mood.

The subject is dropped. Lissa and Adrian move on to discuss the uses of spirit, while Christian finishes his essay. My mind is still on Christian's words 'he's gonna make you pay'.

"Rose?"

"Hmm," I blink, looking up to find both Lissa and Christian have already packed away their things.

"Dinner, Rose," Lissa smiles, although it doesn't quite reach her eyes. Through the bond I know she's worried about me. Like me, she can't shake Christian's news about Jesse's threat from her mind.

"Yeah, you guys go ahead. I'm right behind you," I say as I start packing away my books along with Adrian.

Even though I don't have a bond with Adrian, I can always feel his presence when we're in the same room. Right now, with him beside me, I feel warm and comforted.

I sigh as we walk towards the dining hall. "Why do I have an impulse to hug you, Adrian?"

He lets out a soft chuckle. "Maybe because I'm just that irresistible, little dhampir." He points up and down his (pretty impressive) body.

I snort. "Stop with the compulsion," I glare at him mockingly. "You know I hate that."

"I'm still learning to control it. I apologise," he replies with a genuine smile that could melt a million hearts.

Along with the capability of seeing a person's aura, Adrian can also influence a person's emotions in relation to their aura. This is a fairly new ability so I forgive him easily, knowing the compulsion is unintentional.

"I see your aura. I know you're a little worried about Jesse." His eyes narrow at the name. "What are you thinking?" His voice is low, head bent down closer to mine.

"I don't know," I reply honestly. "I want to be done with this place, graduate already," I say more strongly. "Jesse and his minions are a waste of my time," I roll my eyes. "Why do they always wanna give me shit? If I could, I'd ignore their entire existence but they just _have_ to go and make is so damn difficult."

"They're jealous," Adrian says simply, shrugging. "And I'm not just saying that. I see it in their aura. They see you succeeding and it kills them that they're not half as good… and can never be," his lips quirk up at that. "Fighting you helps their egos, makes them feel bigger than they are."

"Instead of researching spirit you should go into psychology. You'd make a great psychologist," I joke.

Chuckling, he drapes an arm around my shoulders and pulls me close against his body. "I'm happy right here, thanks," looking me up and down and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

I laugh loudly and smack his hard chest. "I'm sure you are."

"Lord Ivashkov." That deep voice is enough to halt my progress and clamp my mouth shut. Belikov stands a few feet in front of us as we turn the corner.

"Guardian Belikov," Adrian replies, nodding his head and standing up straighter.

Belikov eyes our close proximity with obvious distaste. "Hathaway," he states, although an eyebrow arches up as if in question.

"Guardian Belikov," I reply formally, trying to inconspicuously take a step away from Adrian. His hand imperceptibly squeezes my shoulder, clearly warning me to stay in place. I can tell he's enjoying this. I grit my teeth, fiercely wanting to stamp on his foot.

"May I remind you both of the rules regarding male and female interaction at the academy," Belikov says, eyeing us both.

"I assure you, I am well aware of the rules, Guardian Belikov, and strictly adhere to them," Adrian replies with mock seriousness. Had this conversation been with any other guardian I would have laughed aloud at that! "How about you, little dhampir?" he asks me sweetly.

"Mhmm, I know the rules," I quickly nod.

"Excellent," Adrian beams. "Now if you'll excuse us, we were just on our way to my room." My head whips to Adrian. "I mean, on our way to the dining hall!" He is so convincing in his lie, had I not known the truth I would have believed him. I downright glare at him. He doesn't need to see my aura to know I am furious with him.

"I am also inclined to remind you, Lord Ivashkov, of the conditions of your stay at the academy. Particularly the condition pertaining to your living quarters and female students." I am mortified at Belikov's connotation. I don't want to imagine what he thinks is going on between Adrian and I.

"Again, my memory serves me just fine," Adrian's smile is now laced with a hint of anger.

Eventually Belikov nods minutely at Adrian, gives me a deep look which I don't know how to interpret and walks away. There's not much a guardian, regardless of their position, can say to such important royal moroi.

"What was that?" I all but yell at Adrian once I know Belikov's completely gone, taking a step away from him.

"Chill. Simply having a little fun, little dhampir," he smiles brightly.

"Fun?" I ask incredulously. "You think that was _fun_ for me? He's my instructor, Adrian. And not _any _instructor. I've already been given a ton of shit from him this week. _That _did not help," I point at him.

He sighs and deep green eyes catch mine solemnly. "I'm sorry, Rose. You're right. I wasn't thinking about you or the repercussions."

We're silent for a few seconds before I roll my eyes. "Maybe it was a _little_ worth it," I concede mischievously. I can never stay mad at Adrian for long – a huge contrast on my attitude with others!

Adrian laughs out loud. "Did you see his face when I said we were going back to my room? Priceless! I think the vein on his temple was about to burst." I laugh along with him. "But in all seriousness," he says, stepping closer to me, "I'm sorry. I hope he doesn't punish you or anything," and I know Adrian is genuinely concerned.

"Well he can't really do anything. He didn't catch us breaking any rules. He just reminded us of them." I keep it to myself that he is most likely going to speak to me about this though. Belikov doesn't let anything slide.

"Come on, let's go. I'm starving!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Such lovely responses to the story so far! Thank you :) …it's been super fun writing this so far, particularly Dimitri's character hehe**

Chapter 6

I had dreaded this morning run with Belikov after the events of the previous night. Knowing that he couldn't retort back to Adrian with him being a royal moroi and nephew of the queen, I'm sure it had killed Belikov to walk away. However, it was in his best interest. Had he made any insinuations of the queen's nephew could and would have been an extremely dangerous path to go down and he knew it too. A guardian certainly did not interfere in royal moroi business.

Well, if Belikov couldn't talk back to Adrian then who could he talk back to? Yep, that's right. Me.

So, as I walked to the grounds in the chilly morning, frosty grass crunching under my feet, I was mentally preparing myself for the backlash of last night. I bet Belikov would give me the whole run down of the rules of male and female interaction, the do's and the don'ts. 'Are you allowed into male dorms?' he would ask. 'No, sir,' I would reply, trying my utmost not to roll my eyes. 'Is PDA acceptable?' and I would try _not_ to reply 'Is that a rhetorical question… sir?'. No sarcasm! I reprimanded myself. He definitely wouldn't respond well to that.

Well, imagine my surprise when I get there and everything is… _normal_. Nothing out of the ordinary. Not even so much as a glare comes my way from Belikov. We do our warm up stretches in silence before starting our run.

'Oh God,' I think to myself. What if this is part of his plan? To start his lecture during our run where he knows I can't reply because I'll be too tired and need to conserve energy!

A lecture does not come. We finish our run in record time – well record time for me. I'm sure he runs faster when he's on his own.

"Like I said before, you're getting better," Belikov says as we sit to catch our breath. "That was your best time yet, Hathaway," he says, catching my eye. He doesn't smile, but there's something in his eyes and his voice… almost like pride.

I take a huge gulp of water. "Yeah, I'm getting the hand of it," I acknowledge, averting my eyes, willing myself to stop imagining things.

"Listen, Hathaway," he eventually sighs once we get up to start our cool down stretches. "About last night." My heart beats faster. I'd really thought he would drop this! He must notice the reaction on my face, as well as my silence, when he continues quietly, "Be careful, that's all."

My head whips towards him, eyes narrowed. "What?" I say almost harshly.

"I hear things, Hathaway. And I've heard what Ivashkov's all about," he says calmly, but I know he's holding back.

"Oh, really? What is it that you _think _you know about him?" By now I've stopped my stretches and completely face Belikov. He follows suit.

"His drinking. His womanising. _Everyone _knows about it, Rose," he says exasperatedly, eyes boring into mine. I ignore how my heart skips a beat hearing my name ushered from his lips.

I laugh humourlessly. "You think you have him all figured out. From what, a bunch of rumours?" I ask, voice shaking. A flicker of doubt crosses his eyes and his expression softens. He opens his mouth to say something but I don't allow it, too annoyed. "Even worse, you think you have _our _relationship figured out. You think that I'd be stupid enough, naïve enough, to be used by a womanising alcoholic."

Belikov takes a step closer, shaking his head. "Rose, I didn't-"

"Forget it, Belikov. Think what you like. I don't care," and with that lie I storm off.

"Does it ever bother you, Adrian? What people say about you?" I ask during lunch. I have no appetite. I simply twist the water bottle cap on the table.

"What? That I'm supposedly a drunk and screw anything with tits and an arse?" Adrian counters crudely.

"Well, yeah," I huff, raising my eyes to meet his.

Adrian signs. "A wise woman once said, 'Haters are going to hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. But you've got to shake it off. Shake. It. Off.' I'm paraphrasing of course," he shrugs.

"You mean Taylor Swift," I say before we burst into laughter.

"What's brought this on, little dhampir?" Adrian eventually asks after sobering up (no pun intended!).

I shrug noncommittally. "Something someone said," I say quietly.

"I'm not gonna lie, Rose. It can be hard… hearing those things. But it gets easier sometimes, having the right people around you," he says, bumping his shoulder into mine making me smile. "Prevent you from drowning in those pitfalls of lies. Reminding me every day who I really am," he ends seriously.

I lean closer to him and say quietly, "I'm sorry you have to hear the things you do. I wish I could protect you from it, all of it," I say honestly, my inner-guardian self taking over.

Adrian's lips quirk up ever so slightly. "You do," he replies earnestly.

I feel Lissa's presence through the bond before she enters the dining hall with Christian. I sit up straight.

"Don't let anyone's words bother you, Rose," he says seriously just as Lissa and Christian join us. I nod to Adrian infinitesimally and our conversation ends.

"Hey guys," Lissa greets cheerfully, taking a seat. "So I was just asking Christian-" to which Christian grumbles something under his breath, '-how about a shopping trip this weekend? I'm dying to buy some new clothes! What do you think, Rose?"

"Don't start with those doe eyes," I warn her. Here's the thing: Lissa loves to shop. I'm sure if it weren't for school and difficulties with guardian schedules, she'd go shopping every weekend. While I don't mind shopping, shopping with Lissa is – to put it bluntly – its own form punishment.

"I'm not! Besides, your birthday's coming up. I want to treat you to a few things," she says sweetly.

"What things?" I ask, suddenly concerned. I've never felt comfortable receiving gifts from Lissa.

"I can't tell you yet. Just agree to the shopping trip first. Please." Definite use of doe eyes. But I know her heart is in the right place. Nothing makes her happier than doing something kind for someone else. That is in the long list of reasons why I love her so much.

"Fine. But promise me, nothing big or extravagant," I say warningly.

"Promise," she replies honestly. I feel a surge of happiness and excitement run through the bond. It's infectious and I laugh back.

"Well, that sorts it," Christian suddenly claps joyfully. "It can be a fun _girls_ shopping trip."

"Christian, if you wanted to invite yourself you only have to ask," I say wryly. Adrian coughs back his laugh. Christian glares at me.

By the time combat class with Belikov has arrived, my anger towards him still has not subsided, despite Adrian's advice. I've had my fair share of bitchiness and rumours aimed towards me and I've dealt with it – in the process I've learnt to deal with my anger in less physical ways! What frustrates me is that Belikov of all people, someone who I had assumed would be above silly rumours, would pass judgement on one of my closest friends. And really I can't say much to defend Adrian since not many people know the correlation between spirit and his drinking.

I make a pact with myself to not make eye contact with Belikov throughout the lesson. I'm sure he won't even notice but it'll make me feel just a little better.

Through the lesson I succeed in avoiding catching his eye. Only once does Belikov approach me to correct me on my manoeuvre. I stay silent, taking on his advice. Through my peripheral I see his minute nod before he makes his way to another pair.

I sit in the middle of my double bed, relaxing against the plump pillows, my laptop propped on my lap. The laptop being a gift from Lissa a few Christmas' back after I'd complained to her once about how old and slow my computer at the time was. I had grudgingly accepted the expensive gift, not without making her promise not to buy me anything for my upcoming birthday. That year for my birthday she had made me a large collage of pictures of the two of us from early childhood and through our many years of friendship. The collage currently hangs on the opposite wall beside the floor length mirror. I smile eyeing it now. Since then I have added pictures of us – some with Christian, Adrian and Mason too – around the huge picture frame.

My eyes shift from the pictures to the left at my desk. I have to hand in the 'Belikov reports' tomorrow and still have a couple paragraphs left to write up for the second report. My sore muscles scream at me to close my eyes and rest for the night. I reluctantly snap my laptop close and walk over to my desk. Feeling warm, I unzip my hoodie and casually throw it onto my bed, leaving me in my black vest, which reads 'KISS ME', and cosy black pyjama bottoms.

I wilfully force my brain to focus, having only a couple more sentences to write. Truthfully, I have completely bullshitted my way through writing this report on the importance of a school curfew. I mean seriously, 500 words?! I'm pretty sure I've repeated the same points several times throughout the report, simply rewording the sentences. Besides, I bet Belikov will hardly read past the first line.

There's a knock at my door. I frown, checking the time on my clock. It's nearly 10:30 in the evening. There's no way Lissa can make it past security to get up here this late at night and regardless, I feel her through the bond: calm and peaceful, clearly in a deep slumber. Similarly, with Adrian, it is extremely unlikely the guards would let him up into the female novice dorms.

"Hold on," I holler. I quickly finish the last sentence of my report, by this point giving zero Fs on the repetition. Finally, I make my way over to the door, swinging it open. The word 'what' is on the tip of my tongue before my voice gets stuck in my throat and my body stands frozen.

Belikov stands before me, clearly having finished guard duty judging by his all black attire. My eyes don't leave his face so I notice his own eyes flickering to my chest before meeting my gaze. His posture straightens. I wince internally, not having to peek down to remember the words screaming out from my vest. I feel my cheeks warm.

"Uhh…," I stammer, taking my eyes off Belikov to check whether any other guardians have joined him. Just Belikov.

He clears his throat before saying, "Hathaway," in way of greeting, as usual. "Did I disturb you?" he asks, eyes meeting mine.

"Um, no," I reply. "Was actually finishing off some work."

"Ah," he says. Silence. He looks down the corridor before asking me almost nervously, "May I come in?". The lack of authority and confidence in his voice throws me off so much so that I immediately grant him access, stepping to the side. "Thank you," he mumbles, entering my room.

I shut the door quietly behind me, not taking my eyes off my unexpected guest. His eyes, meanwhile, sweep across my room, from the bed, to the desk, to the en suite entrance. With that quick survey, I know he has retained all the details of my room and locked it into a compartment of his memory.

"Do you… want to sit down?" I ask unsurely.

"Thanks," he says again, going over to my recently vacated desk.

I watch him as I make my way to the bed, sitting atop the covers cross legged, directly across from him. He reads the underlined title at the top of my report, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. I notice his eyes crinkle ever so slightly. I decide he instantly appears years younger with that smile, sweet even. He flips through the few pages I have lying on my desk.

"I see you've completed the reports," he comments, finally swivelling his body on the chair to face me.

He unzips his black jacket, relaxing into the chair, draping his arms along the arm rests, legs apart as if he's winding down from a long gruelling day, which he probably is. As I steal a quick glance at his hard chest, I remember my own attire and instinctively reach for my hoodie. I only zip it up half way, feeling even hotter than from when I'd first taken off the damn thing. The sound of the zip must catch his attention as his eyes, for a second time, drop to my chest and back up. He clears his throat again.

"Yeah, thanks for that by the way," I say sarcastically in response to his comment. I am rewarded with an irresistible smile. My own lips tug at the corners but I cool my features down to glare at him. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" I ask, accusingly.

He can't hold back his chuckle. I bask in the glorious sound. "I assure you, that wasn't my intention… but maybe just a little," he whispers the last part conspiratorially. I'm not impressed by his answer and he knows it. "Look, can you honestly say you'll be breaking school curfew again after this week?" he asks, humour laced in his words.

"Well, even if I do, I'm hardly gonna tell _you_, am I?" I counter.

"Fair point," he agrees. I can tell he is holding back his laughter which, had this been anyone else, would annoy me. "Though, I hope you don't." I roll my eyes, secretly enjoying this side of Belikov.

"So I'm intrigued, why are you here, Belikov?" I drop the usual title because this is hardly a formal situation. He doesn't react to the lack of title. "I'm sure you didn't come to check up on my reports."

"No, I didn't." He pauses before continuing more seriously, "I feel terrible for this morning. I want to apologise," his voice drops low. He leans forwards, elbows resting on his knees and clasping his hands. "I'm sorry. You were right with everything you said. I had no right saying what I said or assuming what I had assumed."

His final statement strikes me as odd. He is a guardian and instructor at this academy, therefore definitely has a responsibility on enforcing appropriate conduct and relations between make and female students. Granted, Adrian is not a student of this academy but he also has conditions to his stay here.

"Whatever you've assumed about me and Adrian, there's no basis for it. There's nothing romantic going on between the two of us." I don't know why I feel this urge to clarify despite him not having asked me to do so. His reaction tells me that's exactly what he had thought about us.

"I'm sorry to have assumed so," he says gently.

"Thanks," I say and I don't know why I feel shy all of a sudden, looking down at my fingers. "He is a good guy, you know. What you hear about him, they're just that: rumours. People trying to discredit his character, you get it everywhere in moroi politics."

Belikov sighs deeply. "I trust your judgement, Rose." There he goes again, surprising me with not only his statement, but also with the use of my first name. My heart beats faster. "I feel foolish to have taken those rumours seriously. Regardless of whether those rumours were true or not, I don't personally know Adrian Ivashkov and you do." I smile in appreciation.

"It's not so much that the rumours aren't true," I clarify uncomfortably. "He does drink and may… occasionally flirt and fool around," I say, being careful with each word I choose to use. "It's more the spin these rumours take and have on his character that's false. He drinks, yeah, but it doesn't mean he's an alcoholic. The drinking helps him cope with spirit."

Belikov frowns. "Ivashkov drinks… because of spirit?"

"Well, that's what I _think_. He's never said anything about it but I notice the difference in him when he drinks. It's like, when it all gets too much for him he has a few drinks and he's back to normal – not _drunk_," I emphasise, "just back to normal."

I see the wheels in his head spinning as he tries to think this through. "If that _is _the case, then what about Vasilisa? _She _doesn't drink."

I shrug. "From what they've researched about spirit, it's different with every moroi. Moroi with spirit each have their own abilities and ways of dealing with it."

His eyes narrow at this. "All spirit users have to deal with it some way or another?"

"Seems so," I nod.

"How does Vasilisa deal with spirit?" he asks. His genuine concern for my best friend warms my heart.

"Umm… well, I'm not sure, actually," I answer truthfully. "It's always seemed when it does get all a bit much for her she's somehow able to reel it in." Belikov doesn't appear convinced so I add, "But I think the research Adrian's been doing will really help with finding that out." Belikov sits there quietly.

After some moments of silence, the both of us lost in our thoughts, Belikov checks his watch.

"I better get going," he says quietly.

I nod reluctantly, the both of us staring at each other unmoving.

"Can I ask you something?" I ask softly.

"Go ahead," he replies, just as softly.

My pulse quickens and before I can backtrack I rush, "Why do you care? Coming here… apologising?" I shake my head, not understanding his true intent.

His eyebrow arches up in question, a soft smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "You'd rather I didn't?" he counters.

I laugh. "I appreciate it, don't get me wrong. It's just…" I bite my lip, trying to find the words. "I didn't expect _you_, Belikov, to go out of his way to apologise. Let alone _care_ enough to warn me over 'womanising alcoholics'," I say, using quotation marks in the air.

Belikov sighs, clearly trying to find his words, looking away from me. While forming his thoughts, he stands up, walking over to the collage Lissa had made me. His eyes roam the sea of pictures and I find myself wondering what he thinks looking at them. Eventually he begins, "I… don't see you as _just _my student, Rose," he says carefully. I feel a blush immediately creep into my cheeks at this confession. He turns back to me. "You're Vasilisa's best friend. She cares about you possibly more than anyone else. I can't deny that if anything were to happen to you…" he frowns, "I'd feel personally responsible. And soon enough," he adds lightly, "we're going to be working together side by side," he says, his brown eyes spark with flecks of gold in almost a mischievous glint. It's infectious and my lips curve up into a small smile. "I can't have you being mad at me," he says, gazing down at me.

"I'm not mad," I shake my head. "Anymore."

Belikov laughs aloud at this. I grin back.

"Don't think I didn't notice you avoiding me in class earlier," he laughs. My already pink cheeks brighten further and I hope he doesn't notice! His brown eyes roam my face slowly.

"I was pretty pissed off earlier," I concede, biting my lip, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically nervous; although seeming to be an emotion only Belikov can bring out in me recently.

"And now?" he asks.

"All forgiven."

"I'm glad," he smiles sweetly, slowly making his way to the door. I stand up to meet him there. "I'll see you tomorrow, sharp and early for our run." With his hand on the door knob he turns around to look down at me.

"Don't blame me if I'm a few minutes late," I warn jokingly. "You _have _kept me up pretty late tonight." I want to smack my head the second I finish my sentence, which comes off as an innuendo!

His eyes read the words on my vest before looking up. His expression is almost barely concealed exasperation; at me or himself, I do not know. His tongue flicks out to moisten his bottom lip, followed by his teeth which scrapes his bottom lip.

"Sharp and early," he repeats, meeting my gaze one last time before opening the door and walking out.

**Loved writing this last scene! What did you think?**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Before I forget, here are the reports." I hand them over to Belikov, having finished our warm downs after the seven-mile run.

I was nervous meeting Belikov in the morning today – thankfully I woke up on time! – given our previous night's conversation. I wasn't sure how to act around him. On the one hand, he is my instructor. On the other hand, I'm starting to see him as more than an instructor; as he'd pointed out, we would be working closely together after my graduation. The previous night he had treated me as almost an equal. I was determined to be seen in this light again.

I needn't have worried. Belikov treated me as he'd been treating me throughout the week's morning laps. A nod of the head in greeting and a run in silence, other than the few pointers he offered here and there. I enjoyed silence. In contrast to it being awkward, I found it to be peaceful and calming. Surprisingly, these morning laps had grown on me, they were enjoyable – and not just because of the company.

"Oh right, thanks," he says, taking the reports.

His eyes start skimming through the pages. I hadn't expected him to start reading the damn reports right this second! My palms start to sweat with anxiety. "Hmm," he nods at one point in approval. "I like how you've paired Harbour's Method of Surveillance with Maxim's Modus Operandi," he says, eyes not leaving the report. "Some good points."

He flips over to the second report. Unlike the first report, I know for sure this one sucks arse! Belikov's expression gives nothing away. That is until a slow smile tugs at the corner of his lips. "A school curfew-" he finally focuses on me, laughter swimming in his eyes, "-so as to prevent unwanted teen pregnancy?" he asks slowly. I know he's holding back laughter.

"What?" I respond defensively. "It _is _a valid point."

"Be that as it may, your statement implies male/female relations occur within the academy. Even before teen pregnancy, the school curfew would hope to prevent the act with which it happens in the first place," he argues.

I snort. "'the act'? You can say 'sex', Belikov," I laugh. He in turn rolls his eyes – that's a first! "So, what you're really trying to say, in layman's terms if I may?" I continue without his response, "is that the school curfew is designed to promote abstinence?" I smirk.

"It's not the _sole _reason, but it definitely is an argument for a school curfew." He tries for a serious tone. The gleam in his eyes gives him away.

"Ha! If only you knew."

His eyes narrow. "Knew what?"

"Look, Belikov," I sigh with mock seriousness. "I appreciate the academy's attempts at keeping male and female students away from each other, but I hate to say it, if there is anything in this world that can bypass your security measures… it's hormones."

"So you're saying," he says slowly, voice dropping law causing my stomach to flutter, "sexual relations occur between students at this academy?" As we hold each other's stare, his eyes glimmer with mischief.

"My lips are sealed," I say, matching his tone. His eyes drop to my lips for the briefest moment, I almost don't catch it.

"Hmm." After a moment of silence, he continues. "Anyway, if you'd come up with some more… _realistic _reasons for a school curfew this would have been a decent report," he says with a small smile. "As for this one," he holds up the report on Harbour's Method of Surveillance, "I'm impressed with. Especially given the week you've had; this is really good." I grin, elated with his feedback.

"Thanks," I say, looking down at my feet.

"As for the laps, you've done well this week. You managed to run your best time today," he says, turning to face the track. "You should be proud of that."

"Thanks," I say again. "It wasn't too bad," I admit, lifting my eyes towards the sky.

I breathe in the crisp clean smell of the cold air around us. The clouds are basked in an orange glow as the sun sets, signalling the start of the academy day. I already miss the warmth of the sun's rays gently kissing my skin.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Belikov asks, voice so soft I almost don't hear it.

"Yeah." We watch the clouds shroud the ever-setting sun protectively. "Sometimes I forget the beauty of the day. I wish I'd appreciate moments like this more often," I murmur.

"I know it was a one off for you this week, but I actually run every day at this time. You're more than welcome to join me."

I'm so surprised by this invitation I simply stare at him. I watch the flicker of orange glow in his eyes. His focus shifts to me, an innocently questioning glance.

I clear my throat. "Yeah, sounds good." The softest of smiles I receive makes me feel like I'm soaring on cloud nine. "Although there's no way I'm handing in my long weekend lie ins," I say, suddenly serious. "I _live _for those lie ins." Belikov barks out a laugh. It's infectious.

His demeanour shifts instantly as his eyes turn to something behind me. He straightens his shoulders and it is only now I notice how close we've edged towards each other during out conversation. He takes a step away from me, striding towards whatever has caught his attention. I turn around to see two royal moroi guards advancing towards us. They are both tall, one around 6ft and the other a few inches taller. Their uniform is similar to the guards at the academy except they don navy blue with the queen's emblem stitched into their jackets.

Belikov greets them and it is clear they are already familiar with each other, clapping their hands followed by a fist bump. The royal guards do most of the talking. Belikov faces away from me, however I observe his tense shoulders and arms folded at his chest. After a couple of minutes, Belikov sighs and shakes his head. The shorter guard nods his head towards me. Belikov shifts his body so now all three men glance my way. My face burns at the attention. Belikov rubs at his neck, murmurs something to the guards before walking back to me. The guards give each other a look but say nothing.

Belikov stops when he is a feat away, forcing me to raise my head to see his face.

"There's been a couple of strigoi attacks nearby," he says solemnly. My eyes widen. "I think it would be a good idea for you to come with us, learn how guardians strategies in these situations."

"Okay," I nod, my mind reeling. Belikov's about to return to the other guards but I stall him, grabbing his arm. "Who… the attack?" I ask, my voice shaking.

He understands the question that I do not have the strength to voice aloud. His brown eyes soften. "The Badica's and Voda's. There were no survivors."

A lump forms in my throat. The Badica's are the smallest royal family after the Dragomir's – Lissa being the only surviving Dragomir. There are two Badica siblings at the academy and my heart breaks out for them. The Voda's, although a larger royal family, will no doubt also feel the loss from this attack.

My mind turns to the culprits of this attack: strigoi. Belikov must notice the change in my expression.

"Come on," he beckons. "This is Rose Hathaway," he introduces once we reach the other guards. "Rose, this is Valentin Markov-" he points to the 6ft guard, "-and Alexander Chernikov," pointing to the other. They both offer me a firm handshake, along with a grim smile given the current circumstances. "Rose will be shadowing me."

"Alright," says Valentin, while Alexander nods.

We start striding through the school grounds, the guards and Belikov immersed in conversation, the former filling us both in on the details of the attack. 5 strigoi were involved in the attacks. In both cases, they waited until the moroi were outside of the protective borders before making their move.

"A 9mm was found in one of the guardian's abdomen but autopsy results show he died from blood loss from the neck wounds," informs Valentin, entering the academy's guardian headquarters. "Same bullets found in one of the Badica's."

"The guardian and the Badica had names," I say heatedly, disgusted with how calmly he speaks of their murder.

"I know," he replies calmly, 'but their names are irrelevant at this point."

"Are you _that _insensitive?" I round on him.

"Look, sweetheart, I deal with these murders more often than you can imagine," he replies, not unkindly. "As a guardian, it is your duty to remain objective of the situation otherwise you'll get swallowed up into that darkness. And trust me," he finishes slowly, emphasising each word, "that's not a place you want to find yourself in." With that he enters the guards' break room, Alexander follows.

I'm rooted to the spot, accepting Valentin's harsh reality. I feel a warm hand gently touch my arm.

"We can't do anything more for the guardians and moroi we lost today," Belikov murmurs, fixing his eyes on mine. "But we _can _investigate these attacks and make sure we protect the rest of our people. The best investigators leave their emotions at the door and, like Val said, stay objective."

"Okay," I say.

"So they had handguns?" Belikov asks incredulously, taking his hoodie off and draping it across the back of his chair.

"Yes," says Alexander. "The same millimetres were found in the second crime scene."

"I've never heard of strigoi using handguns," I frown.

"Neither have we," says Valentin. "That is until today." He silently hands me a cup of coffee and I smile at him appreciatively. He returns my smile with his own dimpled one.

"So what does this mean for us? For moroi?" I ask, taking a seat beside Belikov.

"What do you think this means?" counters Belikov.

All three professional guardians focus on me for the second time today. I realise they're testing me and I try not to squirm at the attention. Don't get me wrong, I'm used to attention from my peers. In fact, I thrive on it! However, sitting here now with badass Belikov and two royal moroi guardians, who look just as lethal, reminds me of my place in the hierarchy of guards.

"Well…" I swallow, "if they're using handguns and attacking in groups, not only are they getting armed, but I get a sense of organisation. A _planned _attack." This may not sound like much but in reality this is huge. Strigoi are nomads, they never stay in one place for long, travelling in groups of three _tops _in search for their next victims. It is unheard of for strigoi to assembly forces and plan an attack in this way.

"Good," Belikov nods approvingly.

"On a positive note the bullets found at the scene were completely haphazard. They don't have the skill or precision with these guns," says Alexander.

"Does it really matter?" I ask. "One or two bullets are enough to scare the moroi and take guardians off guard. And maybe they don't care whether the bullet wounds are fatal or not. It's enough for them to capture their victims and make the kill, which is ultimately what they really want – to _feed_ on their prey."

Valentin sits across from me, his eyebrows raised ever so slightly. Alexander's grey eyes analyse my form. Belikov has a look in his eyes, which I can't quite define.

"Guess you got me there," Alexander smirks.

Belikov sits back in his chair and sighs. "How many of our guys has the queen sent?"

"15." Valentin leans forwards on his elbows. "We'll rotate with you boys… and girls," he adds as an afterthought, looking at me. "Just tell us where you want us."

"Give me your list, I'll create a rota."

I miss my first lesson completely (Advanced Algebra) and walk into second period (Home Economics – don't judge me, it's an easy A!) midway through. I pass the note Belikov's written for me to Miss West, approving my lateness.

I advance towards my work station, where my partner currently stands in his blue and white stripy apron, whisking away at what appears to be cake mix.

"How's that cake coming along, Martha Stewart?" I mock, reaching down to take out my own stripy apron.

Christian glares at me with his icy blue eyes. "Where have you been?" he says through clenched teeth.

I sigh. "Guardian headquarters. I've been shadowing Belikov."

"What?!"

"What?" I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly. Really, I know it's a big deal. No novice – that _I've _heard of – has had the opportunity to enter the guardian headquarters, at a time like this no less.

"You must know loads about the strigoi attack," he says, intrigued. He starts bashing some Oreos in a food bag, while I merely sit beside him on my stool.

I'm not surprised news of the attack has reached the students so soon. News and gossip travels fast at the academy.

"Yeah. A bunch of royal moroi guards have been sent here for extra protection. An order _direct _from the queen," I add. Christian's eyes widen.

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"That must mean they expect these strigoi to linger around here. Why else would they want extra protection at the academy?" He starts mixing the Oreo rubble into the mix, forgetting I'm supposed to be helping him.

"Miss Hathaway," I hear a sugary sweet voice from behind. "You may have had an excuse to be excused from the first half of my lesson, _but _you are here now. I expect your full attention and participation for the remainder of this period." She offers me a smile so sweet it hurts my teeth looking at it. Meanwhile, her eyes shoot daggers. Her facial contradiction forces me to cough and cover my laugh.

"Absolutely," I say mockingly. Her eyes narrow one last time, but she says nothing, turning away.

"Hathaway," a voice yells from across the room. It's the leader of the psycho 3, Jesse Reads. I roll my eyes at him.

"What?" I snap.

"Do you have any sugar left? I need to add it to my 'Hot Belikov Soufflé'. Oops!" he covers his mouth mockingly. "I mean my 'Hot _Chocolate _Soufflé'."

I glare and grit my teeth. Jesse smirks evilly. I turn my back on him, not before observing a few students frown at Jesse's obvious insinuation.

"What's he on about?" Christian asks, confused but still glaring at Jesse.

"He must've seen me with Belikov and some other guards entering guardian HQ. Jealousy's a bitch," I reply, pretending to read through the cake instructions, appearing unfazed.

I try and even out my breathing, heart thrumming in my chest. Could there be more to Jesse's remark? Could he have seen me and Belikov laughing together, standing close to one another and concluded something more was going on between us? I swallow. I don't like the thought of that.

**Plot's thickening. Can't wait to flesh out the new characters a little more and introduce some more characters from the series :) **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"It's awful, isn't it? Those strigoi attacks?" Lissa asks to no one in particular.

The light behind her usually jade green eyes appear dull and diminished, her expression forlorn. The feelings running through her are so deep and troublesome, I physically have to close the bond between us to prevent trapping myself within her mind. I gasp out loud and stumble as the bond is temporarily severed. All eyes in the study room focus on me as I retain my footing.

"Sorry," I say distractedly, catching Adrian's eye. He observes the space around my body, clearly analysing my aura. He then peeks at Lissa and back at me, smiling lightly as understanding flashes in his eyes. "I'm fine," I assure Lissa.

I take a seat on one of the dark leather couches. Christian sits on the opposite couch, juggling a couple of fireballs. Lissa and Adrian sit at the intricately carved oak desk, books and plants surrounding them.

"Poor Emily," Lissa shakes her head. "She's in our class. Emily Badica? Her aunt died in the Badica attack," she clarifies, seeing our questioning looks.

"Ahh," Adrian nods. "Yeah, it's horrible," he sighs.

"Oh no!" Lissa suddenly moans. "Your birthday trip, Rose! It was cancelled because of the attacks." Now Lissa looks like she really is going to cry, tears swimming in her eyes. Christian swiftly rushes over to comfort her.

"Liss," I laugh a little, trying to lighten the mood, "stop worrying about _that _of all things. It doesn't bother me," I shrug.

"But it was going to be so special," her lips turn down, Christian hugs her from behind, rubbing her arms soothingly.

"Maybe you can bring those plans to the academy?" Christian offers.

"What do you mean?" she frowns.

"Well, you were gonna take Rosie-Posy to that _thing_. Bring the _thing _to the academy."

"Gee, Sparky. Awesome code talk," I say sarcastically.

"Oh, so you've cracked the code, have you?" he counters. "Please enlighten us, what _is _this 'thing' we speak of?".

My eyes narrow. Christian smirks.

He faces his right side. "Gee, Christian, you're awesome talking in code." He faces his left side. "Oh, stop! You're making me blush," he says, fanning his cheeks. I roll my eyes.

"No, no. He's right!" Lissa exclaims, her eyes brightening like jewels. "Oh, you're so perfect," she says, grabbing Christian in a tight embrace. He waggles his eyebrows at me before pulling away and swooping Lissa in a heated kiss, which she's more than happy to return. I am _so _glad I've closed the bond!

"Guys!" Adrian says loud enough for the lovebirds to break apart. "Do you mind?"

"Not really," smiles Christian. He immediately turns his head back, bringing his lips close to Lissa. Lissa giggles, smacking the palm of her hand over his mouth.

"Later," she murmurs, pecking his cheek.

"_Thank _you. Come on, I need to see you do your thing with this plant." Adrian shoves a plant pot across the table to Lissa. Christian grumbles to himself, heading back to the couch.

I grab an old dusty looking book off the desk and open it at a random page, wanting to find my own clues about spirit. I frown seeing the brown pages with faded old cursive writing. My fingers gently roam over the page, feeling the rough bumpy texture. I turn the book over to read the title. The brown and worn leather cover carries no title, the only detail is the gold ink delicately threaded along the four edges of the leather.

"Hey, Adrian, what's this?" I ask, holding up the leather-bound book.

"Oh, that. I found it in-between a stack of bibles at the church. Check the first page, it's Vladimir's diary," he responds.

"Vladimir? He had healing powers or something, right?"

"Yep. Course back then no one knew it was spirit. I'm sure it'd be interesting reading from his perspective. Who knows, he might have other spirit powers along with healing."

"Huh," is all I say as I start reading the first entry in the diary. I hear Lissa instructing Adrian, their voices fade out to a low hum in my mind.

Reading the first page makes it clear this is a diary dating back to the 1400s. I quickly learn of his close relationship with his guardian, Anna. This immediately strikes me as odd. Female dhampir, centuries back, would have merely served as housewives and raising the children, and a few even wasting away in blood whore dens. It is only in relatively recent moroi history that the royal court changed the laws to allow for female guardians.

I then snort aloud at how little I know about St. Vladimir, our school's namesake. All eyes once again return upon me.

"Something funny," I mutter, pointing at the book.

"Yeah, good ol' Vladimir," Christian sighs dreamily. "Funny lad," he jokes.

I throw a cushion at his head.

I return to the diary. As anyone would suspect of a diary, it's just long prose of Vladimir's dairy routine. I try skimming through the pages, searching for anything that stands out – even though I don't actually know what in particular I'm looking for – but skimming through the olden style writing and font is tricky. At times, I read the same sentence a couple of times to understand its meaning. He writes about his sermons, his worries of the path he thinks his brother is headed, what he ate during the day – it's all rather tedious (from my perspective of course).

Eventually, he writes about a child he had healed. The date given is 29th March 1438. The child's symptoms were described to Vladimir from the mother: cold shivers for a prolonged amount of time, followed by a high fever and severe sweating. By the time Vladimir had reached the child, the boy was in a deep slumber and continued to sweat profusely. His skin was described as sallow and yellow, while his clothes and hair were damp from perspiration.

Vladimir goes on to describe the incredibly warm feeling (of spirit) as he placed a hand on the boy's slick forehead, transferring his energy through his soul into the boy's. He recalls how the child's skin lightened, the dark circles under his eyes faded and a light sigh was ushered through the child's lips.

As Vladimir bade goodbye, declining the astonished and relieved family's offer to stay for the night, he describes how physically weak and lethargic he started feeling. Whereas, his mind started working in overdrive, his thoughts surrounding all the people who desperately needed his help. His wish to cure them of their pain and anguish was so ingrained in his mind, it became physically painful to think about.

That night, Anna had entered his living quarters to find him kneeling on the cold stone ground, fingers grabbing and pulling at his hair. Anna slapped his face and although he remembers no pain he remembers the sound of the slap reverberating around his dark chamber. The slap worked in pulling him out of the imprisonment in his own mind. Anna grabbed his head, tears streaming down her face, fear for her ward reflected in her bottomless brown eyes. Vladimir focussed on those eyes, mesmerised until the world came back to him.

My fingers start to shake. The old diary loosens from the grips of my fingers, falling to the ground with a loud smack. I feel the dull thump of my heart beat against my chest. It's just all too much. I could have been the one to save those people today. Emily Badica would still have a father had I been there.

I gasp, breathing shallow.

I close my eyes, breathe in deeply, focusing on my own thoughts before Lissa's own pull me even deeper. My body relaxes slightly, hear beat gradually returning to normal.

I push myself off the couch, striding over to the others.

"Lissa," I demand. She blinks away a few tears and slowly raises her eyes to mine. "You are okay," I say slow and assuredly. "You can't save everyone." This time my voice wavers ever so slightly, giving away my own worry for my best friend.

Never have I seen her so affected by spirit. The thoughts spinning in her mind are enough to make me feel crazy so – with tremendous effort – I block it out. Her usually wavy hair falls slack on her slumped shoulders. Her pale skin now almost translucent. Seeing her laboured breathing quickens my heart beat yet again.

"Take a deep breath." She follows my lead, her eyes closing on the exhale. As if our hearts beat as one, I feel my body relax, as does hers.

Adrian stands a feat away from Lissa, obvious worry lining his features. The natural colour slowly creeps into Lissa's face, a touch of pink kissing her cheeks. Adrian's eyes narrow. He turns to me and before he can school his features back to neutrality, I notice his eyes widen for a fraction of a second. I give him a questioning look which he returns with a slight shake of his head, silently telling me 'later'.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"How you doing, Rose?" asks Mason, swinging his arms around my shoulders as we walk to the gym for the final lesson of the day. "Heard you were in Guardian HQ. That true?" he asks excitedly.

"Yeah, Mase." Had I been in his position, I too would have been excited. I too would want to know all the details. But after being in on the conversations, learning about the gruesome attack and the repercussions it held for us dhampir and moroi, it sobered me up majorly.

"So," he says, longing out the word, waiting for me to talk more about it. "What was it like? What did you find out?"

"It was horrible actually," I say honestly. "The attack." I don't need to look at Mason's face to know he's sobered up too.

"Yeah, unheard of to have so many killed at once. And to think, it was only a few miles away right?"

"Yeah. How could this even happen? Stuff like this _doesn't _happen!" I look down and kick the grass.

"Hey," Mason says softly, squeezing my shoulders comfortingly, "it'll be alright."

"Yeah, tell that to the Voda's and Badica's." Mason stays quiet, not knowing what to say. "Come on, I feel like whooping arse today."

"Hell yeah," says Mason, a smile now back on his face.

"Given recent events, St. Vladimir's has been offered extra protection. You will notice new guardians on security as well as in your lessons," Belikov explains in combat training. True to his word, around the gym are several new faces. I spot Belikov's guardian friends from earlier, Valentin and Alexander. "Today, we have the opportunity to pair up with a guardian for 1:1 training." I can hear a few 'oohs' of excitement from fellow novices. Since elementary school, we have always trained in classes or small groups but never 1:1 with a guardian. There simply were not enough guardians to go around to make this possible. "As you know, this is a very rare and exciting opportunity for you all. Listen well to any advice you're given. Make this lesson count," Belikov says slowly, warning in his voice.

"Ok, let's sort out the pairs." Belikov looks down at his clipboard, ready to call out the names. Suddenly, Valentin is at his side whispering something to Belikov. Belikov and Valentin look at each other, Valentin with his eyebrows raised in question. As if they were communicating telepathically, they both turn and fix their eyes on me. I'm taken aback but meet their stare, now raising my eyebrows in question also. "Hathaway, you'll partner with Guardian Markov." I nod my head, not knowing what else to say. I can feel the eyes of fellow novices on me but don't give anything away.

"What did you say to Guardian Belikov?" I ask Valentin as we walk over to the mats.

Valentin shrugs. "I wanted to partner with you, wanted to know what Belikov's future partner was like," he says nonchalantly.

"What?" I stop in my tracks.

"What?" Valentin turns around, looking confused. "You'll both be guarding Princess Vasilisa once you graduate, right? I wanted to know more about the lucky lady who gets to partner up with my best friend," he says jokingly, his smile bringing out the dimples in his cheeks.

"Oh," I say. "Right."

"Why? What did you think I meant?" he asks, confused once more.

"Nothing," I say quickly. "So you and Guardian Belikov are best friends?" I ask, trying to change the subject but also intrigued.

"Oh yeah, we go way back," he says enthusiastically and we continue walking. "We both actually attended St Vlad's. I guess you would have been in the other campus while we were here," he smiles at me and I must admit, if I were any other girl, I'd be swooning in his presence.

That's all the casual conversation we have time for. I've wrapped up my hands and now practise punches and kicks. Valentin wears punch mitts, absorbing the blows.

"Good," he says appreciatively. "You pack a mean punch, good power. Rotate your shoulders a little more," he instructs, moving my shoulders. "That'll increase your power," he explains.

I nod and we practise some more.

"Wanna put what you've learnt to the test?" Valentin asks, wiggling his eyebrows. "Let's spar."

I laugh. "Let's do it Markov," I joke.

We get ready and into position. "Remember, rotate your shoulders to add power," he instructs one last time and I nod.

I put my practise to the test. I jab and Valentin blocks immediately. We bounce on the tips of our toes, each sending our fair share of punches and kicks. Valentin has virtually blocked everything I've sent his way. Meanwhile, a few of Valentin's punches have slipped through, weakening me only slightly. Adrenaline continues to course through me, keeping me energised. I aim another straight punch his way, but within seconds Valentin has twisted me and I smack to the ground.

"Fuck," I yell.

Valentin laughs. He grabs my hands and pulls me up.

"You ok?"

"I'll be fine," I say, rubbing my back. "So what could I have done differently?"

Valentin's smile grows wider at my question. "You were great. Powerful and precise punches. If your opponent is taller than you, like me, use that to your advantage. Bring yourself closer to your opponent so they can't fully extend themselves." I nod, taking it all in. "5-minute break and we'll try again?"

"Yeah, sounds good," I wheeze, still catching my breath. I turn around to walk over to the water fountain.

Just as I finish drinking, a shadow hangs over me. I straighten up to see Mia Rinaldi standing before me. She's glaring at me, waiting expectantly.

"What?" I glare back.

"Enjoying the attention, are you?" I narrow my eyes, not knowing what she could mean. "First Belikov, now this guy? And don't get me started on Ivashkov!" She laughs evilly. My fists clench and I grit my teeth. "You must be working your way up the food chain. No wonder you're top of the class. Whore," she finally snaps, spitting next to my foot.

"What did you call me?" my voice shakes.

"You heard me. You're a fucking whore."

My fists clench but before I can even think of acting something catches my eye. Belikov watches our encounter from a distance, not close enough to hear what's been said, but close enough to notice this conversation may not end so well. He gives me a warning look. It's enough for me to rethink my actions. I face Mia once again. I paste a fake smile on my face.

"Ahh, Mia. Always a pleasure." With that, I walk away, shaking in anger.

I storm off outside, unable to continue with the lesson. I push the doors open forcefully and it bangs open and then shut. I breathe in the fresh air, letting it calm my temper. I pace back and forth, breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth. _Don't let her get to you_, I keep repeating to myself.

I hear the door open. I don't need to look to know who it is. I've spent enough time with him recently to pick up on his cool but spicy scent, immediately signalling me of his presence.

"Want to tell me what that was about?" Belikov asks calmly.

"Not really," I answer, immediately.

There's a moment's pause.

"Well done for not retaliating. You did well."

My eyes snap to his and my movements still. Of all the things, I thought he would say, this was not what I had expected. A small smile graces his lips at my stunned expression.

"You thought about your actions and you were the better person."

"Only because there were witnesses." I keep it to myself that it was because _he _was watching.

He schools his expression to remain impassive. I have a strong feeling he's preventing himself from rolling his eyes at my comment.

"Always choose to be the bigger person, Hathaway. And let me remind you," he adds, folding his arms, "you graduate in a few months. One more outburst and you may ruin your chances of graduating, let alone being Princess Vasilisa's guardian." I swallow, letting his comment sink in. He edges a little closer, lowering his voice. "Promise me you won't get yourself into trouble."

My heart flutters.

"You know I can't promise anything," I say softly… honestly. "Sometimes…" I frown, trying to piece my thoughts together. "Sometimes, I don't know what comes over me," I say slowly. "I can't help but _burst_, you know?" I say meekly, feeling younger than I've ever felt before in front of Belikov.

His expression softens at my honesty.

"You've got Princess Vasilisa and other close friends, who I'm sure you can trust. _Talk_ to them when you feel stressed, upset, angry." Belikov surprises me once more with this advice. "Sometimes we can't help but _burst_ because we're dealing with so much and holding it in. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah. Thanks," I smile.

I'm rewarded with a sweet smile back.

"And," he continues carefully, "if anyone bothers you, you can let me know too." I know he means it as my teacher, but I can't help but feel that it means more. I'm being ridiculous of course!

"I will if you hand it to them in combat training?" I say innocently, phrasing it like a question.

This earns me my biggest reward yet. He laughs aloud, a deep melodic sound.

I realise that during this whole encounter, my previous anger has diminished and now I am as relaxed as ever.

"Thanks, Guardian Belikov," I say with a smile once more. He smiles back.

"You ready for round two with Valentin?" he asks, gesturing towards the doors. "You held up nicely the first round." I grin. His admission notifying me that he had been watching.

"Yeah, let's get it!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"So, what was that all about with Rinaldi earlier?" Mason asks, as we tuck into our dinners. Lissa and Christian; who are also dining with us, look on, intrigued.

I sigh before taking a bite of my jacket potato and beans. "Sprouting shit as usual." Through the bond, I note Lissa is intrigued to know what exactly Mia has said but knows I don't want to discuss it.

Mason laughs. "I'm surprised you didn't knock her out! It sure looked like you were about to." Christian smirks at this news.

"I'm proud of you, Rose," Lissa smiles brightly and I feel this through the bond, warming me. I smile back, gratefully.

"Can we possibly expect a new, tamed Rose?" Christian asks mockingly, eyes wide in shock.

"Oh man! But we need all the action and excitement we can get here!" Mason says.

"At the expense of me getting kicked out? I don't think so. I need to lay low until graduation," I explain.

"Where's the fun in that?!" Christian says, aghast.

"Shut it, flame boy. Eat your food, it's getting cold," I instruct, looking down at his untouched dinner.

"What the fuck, man?" Mason all but screams, leaping out of his chair. Flames appear under Christian's plate.

"What?" Christian asks innocently. "Just warming up my food."

Lissa rolls her eyes and places a delicate hand on Christian's thigh. Her unspoken words are clear. The flames immediately disappear.

"One day, you're going to burn the school down," Mason warns, sitting back down, not before edging as far away as possible from Christian.

"Anyway," I say, standing up with my tray. "I'm heading to the library, got some reading to do."

"Sorry," says Christian seriously, "I don't think I heard correctly. I thought you said you've got _reading _to do." He laughs as if this is the craziest thing he's heard. I'm glad to see Lissa look on disapprovingly.

I decide I'm better off not commenting. After all, I'm going to have to start taking the high road these days. I look at him blankly before leaving the cafeteria.

"Oh come on, Rose," Christian calls out after me, "give me _something_," he pleads. I hear Mason chuckle.

I find a quiet corner and pull out Vladimir's diary, along with a pen and post-it notes at the ready if I find anything significant. Ever since opening this diary, I've had a niggling feeling that it would somehow unravel some truth about spirit and the bond.

Ever since the bond appeared last year, Lissa and I had been reluctant to discuss it with anyone. Even in our vampire world, the ability to hear thoughts was abnormal. Paired with Lissa's inability to control any of the elements; the bond was something we didn't feel like sharing with others until we understood it a little more. To this day, only Mason, Christian and Adrian know our secret.

I'm engrossed in the text and it doesn't take long before I start sticking post-it notes against interesting parts of Vladimir's day. I begin noticing a trend between Vladimir and his loyal guardian, Anna. It's clear, through Vladimir's writing, the level of respect and fondness he shared for her. I'm confident it was mutual reading how Anna protects and comforts him in his times of need. There are more than a few occasions where Vladimir appears to have a breakdown but Anna was always there reassuring him.

"Fancy seeing you here, little dhampir." I look up to meet Adrian's charming smile. "I see you've taken interest in Vladimir's diary," he says, nodding towards the book while pulling out the chair beside me and placing his own books on the table. "Find anything interesting?"

"Lots," I say, brushing my fingers along the edge of the book where bright post-it notes poke out. "But before that, tell me what happened earlier with Lissa. I know you saw something."

His lips turn up slowly into a boyish grin. "What are you going to do for me if I tell you?" he asks, wiggling his eyebrows.

I match him with my own devilish grin. "I think the _real_ question is 'what will I do to you if you _don't _tell me?'."

He clears his throat and moves away from me slightly in his chair. "Fair point," he mumbles, his fingers unconsciously touching his neck. I'm positive he's recalling the moment I shoved him against the wall by the neck with my forearm the first time he ever made a pass at me. My grin widens.

"Okay, so basically," he begins, turning serious, "your aura has always been," he pauses, trying to find the right word, "…unique." I nod, recalling what he's told me in the past about my aura. His eyes travel around the perimeter of my body and I know he searches my aura once more. "With everyone else, the colours swirl around. Nothing's distinct but you still get a sense of their emotions. _Yours_… always has that haze of darkness floating around." I keep listening without interrupting, despite having heard all this before. "But earlier with Lissa…" Adrian's brows furrow, as he recalls what happened. "It was weird because I didn't see any darkness in Lissa's aura and yet when you walked over to her it was as if your aura sucked out the darkness from Lissa's."

"So that's what you saw?" I ask slowly. "How do you know it came from Lissa's aura if she didn't have anything there in the first place?" I ask, confused.

"I don't know how to describe it. You walked over to her and it's as if this darkness was being pulled out from Lissa's and sucked into yours. It's the only way I can explain it," he shrugs.

"Huh." I don't know what else to say. "Just let me know if you see it happen again," I say, rubbing my eyes. I had thought what Adrian saw earlier would help. Instead, it leaves me feeling more confused than ever.

"Of course," Adrian replies softly, sensing how I feel, whether through my aura or in my tone. "So," he says, perking up once more, "anything worth sharing?" he asks, nodding to the diary once more.

I open the diary and reveal the sections in the diary with Vladimir's breakdowns but then his sense of relief once Anna is there to comfort him.

"You think they share a bond like you and Lissa?" asks Adrian, his eyes skimming over the last piece I found.

"Don't you? It can't be a coincidence. Anna's always there at the right times."

"She is his guardian."

"Yes and how rare would that have been all those centuries ago?"

"True," Adrian agrees, finally looking at me.

"If Vladimir is like Lissa," I say, my voice dropping low, "what does that tell us about her?" I know Adrian sees the fear in my eyes. The fear that Lissa too will have more frequent breakdowns.

"This is an insight into _Vladimir's_ life, not Lissa's. There might be some similarities potentially but let's not assume anything just yet," Adrian says, smiling kindly. I nod. I try to take the comfort he is offering but the worry remains.

Usually waking up Monday morning is a pain! Usually I'm groggy and smacking the snooze button and dragging the covers above my head, begging for a few more moments of precious sleep. Not today. I'm wide awake before my alarm even goes off.

I hate to admit it to myself but I know why. I finally accept the embarrassing fact that I'm crushing on my drop dead gorgeous and badass instructor / soon-to-be guarding partner. I pull the pillow from under my head and press it to my face and let out a scream.

Why is this happening to me?! This time last week he wasn't even a blip on my radar, he was just another asshole instructor who made my life a pain. Now… I close my eyes and picture his bottomless brown eyes and dark silky hair tied up in that man bun of his that he pulls off so effortlessly. Butterflies swirl in my stomach at the thought of him. I scream one last time into my pillow before jumping up from bed and hopping into the shower, hoping it will wash away my inappropriate thoughts.

In record time, I'm walking towards Belikov down at the field. As usual, he is already there and has begun on his stretches. I ignore how my heart skips a beat just at the sight of him. _Fool_, I scold myself. Belikov straightens up when he notices me. A smile graces his handsome features. I find myself unconsciously glaring at him, blaming him for how I feel right now! His eyes narrow slightly but his smile remains.

"What?" he asks, once I reach him.

"Nothing," I reply innocently.

He nods as if to say 'okay'. I know he's confused. I bite my lip to stop from laughing. He notices and sighs, exasperated. His eyes dart away in a half roll of his eyes at my antics before reaching mine once more.

"You came?" he says it as if in question. Now I _know_ my behaviour has truly confused him that he has to confirm whether I'm joining him or not. I can't help it and I end up laughing aloud this time. He watches on amused. "What is with you today, Hathaway?"

"Nothing," I repeat once I stop laughing.

Belikov sighs once more. "You've officially wasted 2 minutes of my time," he says, glancing at his watch. "Come on, stretches."

"Ay, ay, comrade," I say with a salute.

He ignores me.

**More of the story will unravel next chapter ****J**


	11. Chapter 11

**I've changed the original plot line I'd made all those years back when I started the story because I think it was simply too complicated. So, it's been hard writing these next few chapters while I try to get a feel of where I'm taking this story. But finally, I feel like I know where I'm taking this story so this was a fun chapter to write and I hope you can feel that too :) **

**Thank you to all those who continue to support this story and review!**

Chapter 11

It's silent as I run alone around the track. The dark cloudy sky is tinged with a hint of pink as the sun sets in the west. A strong gust of wind blows through the air making the branches of the trees creak and the leaves rustle. I continue staring straight ahead, the finish line looming closer and yet so far. The sound of my breathing seems magnified. I keep running but it feels like I'm on a treadmill, like I'm stuck on the same spot. _Come on_, I will myself. _Only a little more left to go._ My breathing becomes laboured and my legs start to feel heavy. Another gust of wind. This time my hair whips around my face, blocking my vision. My hands immediately reach to move the offending strands of hair.

I gasp. My body freezes.

There, at the finish line, stands a tall pale figure. Its red irises lock with mine. Its lips curl cruelly. Elongated fangs extend as if in slow motion. I stare, horrified. I will my body to run but it's as if I'm paralysed. Water pools in my eyes. This isn't how I'm supposed to die. My expression must give way to my terror. The strigoi's lips turn up into a malicious grin.

_Brriiiinggggg!_

I bolt upright, gasping for air. My alarm continues to blare but I hardly notice. I'm damp with sweat. My bedcover is strewn across the bed as if I'd been kicking it frantically in my sleep. I take a few deep gulps and finally turn to switch off the piercing alarm. My fingers shake as I reach over to switch the damn thing off.

_A stupid nightmare_, I repeat to myself. Despite my mantra, I sit for a while longer, unwilling to move.

_Snap out of it, Rose!_

"Shit."

I'm late for Belikov.

"You're late." Belikov doesn't miss a beat as I join him on the track after some stretches.

I don't feel his statement requires a response; I remain silent.

"Not your best today, Hathaway," I vaguely hear once our run is complete. "Hathaway?" I stare at the finish line. "Hathaway?" A vision of the strigoi. A shiver runs down my spine. "_Hathaway_?"

A whip my head around to meet Belikov's concerned gaze. "Yes?"

He glimpses in the direction I'd been staring at and back to me again. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I say quickly, too quickly. His brows furrow. I smile, placating him. "Sorry, I'm just tired." He nods his head slowly, eyeing me suspiciously. I know he spots the dark circles under my eyes.

"Come on, let's head in." I'm relieved he doesn't dig deeper.

It's not until I'm changed back after my shower that I notice the time. Late again! "Shit!" Of all the lessons, I _had _to be late for Guardian Alto's. Could this day get any worse?! I slam my locker shut, glaring at the huge clock on the wall. I jog over to the double doors, ready to sprint it over to the other end of campus. I pull the door open, turn left and halt.

Belikov leans against the wall, his arms crossed at his chest, one foot up on the wall. His damp hair is pulled back; a few strands have escaped their hold to frame his face. He looks up and pulls away from the wall, standing up straight in all his 6 foot 6 glory. We both open our mouths to say something. Suddenly, a siren bellows through the halls. I gasp. We both stare at the flashing red alarm.

Lockdown.

Belikov grabs my hand, enveloping it in his rough hand. He pulls me along, sprinting down the narrow corridor. Within seconds we reach the exit. We both press on the handlebar with our free hands. The doors don't budge. We've used up our ten seconds of escape.

"Shit," Belikov mumbles angrily, glaring at the offending door.

"Is this real?" I ask, my voice shaking on the final word.

"No," Belikov replies steadily. I exhale and I feel my heart immediately calm.

Here at St Vladimir's, the protocol in the unlikely event of a strigoi attack is to lock down. We have lockdown drills around twice a year. All exit doors are secured within ten seconds of the siren to prevent strigoi from entering. If strigoi were to already enter a building full of moroi, in theory, there would be enough dhampir to protect them. Meanwhile, any dhampir in the training facility would hope to escape the building to provide as much protection around the exterior of the building. Belikov and I have failed.

"Shit," I curse, clenching my hand in frustration. Only I hadn't realised my right hand is still encased in Belikov's and, unwittingly, I have squeezed his hand instead. My eyes flicker to his, embarrassed. We both stare at each other for half a second before tearing our hands apart as if a surge of electric current had run through it.

"Come on," Belikov instructs, his face impassive, nodding down the opposite end of the hall. The lockdown siren continues to blare, bouncing off the stone walls, magnifying the sound even louder if that were possible. I follow Belikov as he jogs down the hall into one of the many large gyms of the training facility. As suspected, it's empty.

"Search the rooms on your right, I'll search the left," Belikov calls over the siren.

I do as told but I know the likelihood of finding fellow dhampirs in any of the rooms are zero to none. They would have run out as soon as the lockdown siren was initiated. While entering room to room, I use the opportunity to open the bond and check in on Lissa. I'm relieved to see she's in the foyer of the female's dormitory, surrounded by others, including guardians. As protocol dictates, Lissa is huddled with other moroi. The foyer is scattered with three or four of these groups, from what Lissa's vision allows me to see. Meanwhile, guardians and dhampir students stand guard, ready to protect them.

I sense Lissa's relief, knowing I'm surely with Belikov. However, I also sense her unease. She's unsure whether the lockdown is a drill or not. Some of the expressions of the moroi in her group reflect these feelings too; the recent strigoi attacks are still fresh in their memories. Lissa's thumb unconsciously rubs at the ring on her right hand on her ring finger; a gift from Christian for their one year anniversary.

"Can this lockdown be over with already?" someone calls out angrily. I recognise the annoying trill of that voice. I roll my eyes. Lissa glares at the dhampir standing guard by their group, Mia Rinaldi. "Who's got time for this at this time of the morning?". She crosses her arm moodily, turning to face some of the moroi girls, probably looking for some back up. Too bad her minions aren't around. No one responds. This seems to aggravate her even more. "Can we go now?" she turns to the nearest guardian, sounding like a petulant child. God, could she be any more irritating! What a pathetic excuse of a guardian-in-training! "We know the place is secure." The guardian glares at Rinaldi and is about to retort but Lissa beats him to it.

"Mia," Lissa says, loud enough to be heard but trying her best to sound diplomatic despite her irritation and fear of the situation. "I'm sure the guardians aren't prolonging this lockdown for no reason. They're ensuring the safety of the students and campus before confirming that it's safe to go about our day."

Rinaldi turns around to face Lissa. There's a glint in her eye, like Lissa has just handed her what she's been wanting this whole time; a fight.

"Wake up, _princess_," she says the word like its foul, "we _are _safe. This is a _drill_." My hands tremor and fist in anger. How dare she talk to Lissa like this!

"_What _are you doing?" a voice whispers slowly into my ear causing me to jump involuntarily. Damn it! I'd been too engrossed in Lissa's mind, I'd lost track of my own surroundings. Dangerous, far too dangerous. And by the sounds of it, Belikov thinks so too having witnessed my actions; for how long, I do not know. I feel the heat of his body behind me. I gulp. I am so dead. I grimace before schooling my features into one of innocence. I take my hand off the handle of the door I was supposed to have entered through and turn slowly on the spot. Belikov is inches from me, his arms crossed at his chest. He does not look impressed.

"Searching the rooms." No response. "As you'd instructed."

"Is that right?" he asks, quirking an eyebrow up.

"Yes, sir."

"Then why were you standing here, irresponsive, staring at the door for _three_ minutes before I came up behind you?"

I open my mouth and then close it again like an idiot. After a few seconds too long I respond. "I panicked."

"Panicked?" Belikov asks, narrowing his eyes, disbelieving.

"Yes, sir," I nod. Having to roll with this ridiculous story I continue, "I was panicked by the situation."

"Panicked by the situation? Despite knowing this is a drill?"

I snap my mouth shut. I blink a few times. Yeah, my story can't possibly hold true. Shit. Suddenly, he leans forward and for a split second I think he's going to embrace me in a hug; as if this situation couldn't get any more ridiculous! Of course he hasn't gone to hug me. He's leaned forward to reach for the door and open it.

"Get in. It's too loud out here."

I do as told and feel Belikov follow behind me. I quickly open the bond to feel Lissa's emotions and check she's ok. I'm relieved to feel no sense of additional fear from her conversation with Rinaldi. I'll deal with _her _later.

We've entered one of the medical rooms. It's quite bare save for the desk, cabinet, two chairs and a patient's bed. I hear the door click shut and immediately the siren lowers to a mumble in the background.

"Take a seat."

I'm sure Belikov is referring to one of the plastic chairs but they look uncomfortable so I opt for the bed, jumping up backwards to sit on it. I hear Belikov sigh, my lips twitch. The chair scrapes against the linoleum floor as he pulls it back and around to face me before sitting down. He leans forwards, his elbows resting on his knees.

"If strigoi had infiltrated the building you would have been dead within seconds," he says seriously. I avert my gaze feeling uncomfortable. "So stop feeding me this bullshit of you feeling panicked. Rose Hathaway does _not_ panic." I sit up a little straighter, reaching his intense stare once more. "Start telling me the truth."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi everyone! Apologies for the delay in posting (it's been a really busy summer!). This was a frustrating chapter to write! I kept rewriting parts of it because I wasn't happy with it. **

**As usual, thank you to everyone who's reviewed and I hope you enjoy this next chapter :)**

Chapter 12

_Start telling me the truth._

The truth? I swallow, unsure how to respond to Belikov. He didn't know it but he'd just witnessed me in Lissa's mind a few moments ago. I can't tell him about the bond between Lissa and I. No one can know about it, not yet. Belikov does not let up, his eyes intent on mine.

"It's embarrassing," I blurt out. Belikov's stare softens, the corner of his lips turning up a little, encouraging me to continue. I sigh and avert my gaze. "I had a nightmare," I shrug. His silence wills me to continue and I laugh a little. "It was stupid and," I swallow, "…and I don't know why I let it get to me." I stop and frown recalling the haze I was in before the stupid lockdown.

"What was the nightmare?" Belikov asks quietly.

I laugh self-consciously. "You'll laugh. Like I said," I say while jumping off the bed, "it's stupid."

A large hand encompasses my own, stilling all movement. He tugs at my hand, willing me to face him once more. I do.

"I won't laugh. It's serious enough that it's been playing on your mind so maybe what you need right now is to talk about it."

I swallow once more and cringe at what I'm about to admit. "There was a strigoi. On the field," my voice comes out hoarse. "I felt hopeless, helpless. And it felt so… real." My voice cracks on the last word and I squeeze my eyes shut, willing the vision away. The chair scrapes and I feel Belikov standing before me. "I never want to feel that way again." I breathe in his woody scent, like amber and leather, and it makes me feel safe; I hold onto that feeling.

"Hey," Belikov's voice is barely a whisper, "it wasn't real. You are the most talented novice of your class. And if or when that time comes when you face strigoi you _won't _be hopeless. Believe that." His eyes bore into mine, it's mesmerizing. I smile a small smile.

Suddenly, Belikov's hand snatches away from mine. He takes a step back and his hand reaches into his pocket for his phone.

"Markov," he says as greeting. "The training facility," he replies in answer to Markov's question. "No, it's secure. How about you?" He nods his head, listening to Markov's reply. "No." Belikov glances at me before looking away quickly and I could've sworn he looks uncomfortable, something I've never associated with him before. "I'm with Hathaway. Look," he says quickly, seemingly changing the subject, "everything's secure. Confirm with Petrov and switch off these damn alarms." He doesn't wait for Markov's response and hangs up. "Come on, let's head down. The doors should be unlocked any second now."

Guardian Belikov finishes off the register, closing the tablet. Another guardian comes over to take it. Belikov crosses his arms. Silence.

"It was lockdown earlier today. Who can tell me the procedure in the event of a lockdown?"

Several hands rise. Belikov nods at a male novice to answer. "I was in the male dormitories. We round up any moroi to small groups, scope the area for any threat, stand guard of our moroi and wait for further instructions from our superiors," the novice answers succinctly.

"Good. How would you detect any threat?"

"I'd always be scoping my assigned area."

"Rinaldi," Belikov says sharply, turning to face her now. Her eyes widen slightly at being singled out. "Do you agree with Novice Haskins?"

"Yes, sir," she replies immediately.

"You'd also use the strategy of constantly scoping your area for any threat. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

I smirk, seeing Rinaldi squirm. It's obvious Belikov's been informed on Rinaldi's earlier transgressions. I wish I had popcorn while watching the show unfold.

"Well that's funny," Belikov laughs mockingly, "because I've been informed that's _not _the strategy you implemented earlier."

Rinaldi's eyes widen once more.

Mason mumbles beside me, "Geez, I wonder what the bitch did?" I laugh silently. I steal a quick glance at the other novices, all standing straight, hands behind their backs but many with small smirks on their faces.

"That's not true, I did-"

"Are you calling Guardian Vance a liar?"

"No, no, no," she says quickly, glancing at Guardian Vance who stands guard by the doors, face unreadable. "But, I _did_ scope the area for threats and I _was_ protecting my group of moroi."

"I don't think turning your back on any potential threats and moaning to your moroi about the lockdown constitutes as _protecting_ your moroi." Many novices stifle their laughter and some shake their heads in disbelief at Rinaldi's actions.

"What an idiot," someone whispers under their breath.

Blood creeps into Rinaldi's cheeks. Thankfully, she remains quiet. There's nothing she can say to make the situation any better. Belikov glares at Rinaldi. "Suicides, 20 minutes." Belikov turns his head to the rest of us, effectively dismissing Rinaldi. "The next time any one of you decides not to take drills seriously, I assure you it will be your last day here," he says lethally.

That evening, after dinner, I sit with Lissa and Adrian at the library. We laugh as I explain to them what happened to Rinaldi in training earlier.

"I would _live _to see Rinaldi kicked out of the programme," I smile wickedly.

"Don't say that, Rose. Guardian numbers are low as it is. We can't afford to have novices failing," says Lissa.

"I think we'd be safer with well-trained guardians who serve to protect their moroi at all costs than guardians who'll half-ass it like Rinaldi will if she passes," I counter.

"Hmm, maybe Rose is right. We don't need novices who aren't dedicated to their job or they'll put a lot more in danger than just their charge," says Adrian thoughtfully. He sighs. "But it is worrying, the ratio of moroi to dhampir. And then with these attacks… Things aren't looking great. Have you gotten your invitation yet?" Adrian suddenly asks Lissa.

"Invitation?" Lissa asks, confused. "Invitation for what?"

"I'll take that as a 'no'," Adrian smiles.

"Invitation for _what_?" I ask.

"A spokesperson from each royal family's been invited to sit in on a meeting to discuss the recent attacks. You'll obviously have to attend to represent the Dragomirs. And I'll obviously be attending because I feel like it," he shrugged casually.

"Of course you are," I say, sarcastically.

"When is the meeting?" Lissa asks, her eyes lighting up. She's never been asked to attend a meeting like this. It'd essentially be like a coming of age ceremony!

"This weekend."

I can feel Lissa's nerves but also something buried deep inside. She would have a voice and she needed to prepare for what her stance would be. I feel her excitement bubbling inside, as well as her courage.

"Well I'm not missing this," I pipe up. "I'm coming with you."

"Well of course you are, you're my guardian," Lissa says matter-of-factly, making me grin. "Oh! This is perfect!" Lissa as good as bounces in her chair. "It's your birthday on Saturday. We can do something to celebrate."

I laugh. "If that's what you want."

Lissa rolls her eyes. "Stop being a party-pooper. The royal court is the perfect setting to do something special." She claps her hands excitedly and then stops, looking at me aghast. "Don't you _dare_ read my mind from now until Saturday, Rose."

"Hey," I raise my palms up at her accusing tone, "I can't help it sometimes."

"Well help it!" she snaps.

"I'll try my best, Princess," I smirk and Adrian chuckles. She glares at me; she hates it when I call her that. "Anyway," I say, pulling my chair back and standing up, "I'll leave you two to get on with your spirit stuff. I'm gonna see if I can track Belikov to confirm my attendance this weekend," I wiggle my eyebrows. "See ya."

_No reading my mind! _I hear Lissa's voice shout in my head. I walk backwards to face them once more. "OK," I signal with my hands, laughing while Lissa glares.

I've looked everywhere for Belikov to no avail. Just as I'm about to give up and head to my dorm for the night, I realise there's one place I haven't checked: guardian dorms. I stand there for a second, staring at the guardian dorms. I've never been inside, never having reason to track down a guardian outside of school hours. But I'm too excited at the prospect of joining Lissa and Adrian this weekend. I _have _to confirm it tonight.

So, with some trepidation I stalk over to the guardian dorms. I hide behind a wall, waiting for guardians to enter the building. After a few agonizing minutes (I'm too impatient for my own good!), I spy two guardians entering the building; one of them gaining access using their key card. Shit. How was I supposed to get in now?

I stand there for a minute glaring at the glass doors, planning how I could possibly gain entry when a voice whispers in my ear, "What are you doing?"

I jump and swivel around. Guardian Markov stands before me, brows raised in question, expression unreadable save for the hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. I want to kick myself for not paying better attention to my surroundings. I decide to fake bravado. "I need to discuss something important with Guardian Belikov."

"He's off duty right now," Markov says simply.

"This is important." Markov's expression remains passive. I tamp down the urge to glare at him. "It's to do with Princess Dragomir."

A slight tilt of Markov's head. "What about the princess?" he asks with some concern.

"I need to talk to Guardian Belikov. He _is_ her assigned guardian." Markov seems to be considering it so I try my luck a little more. "Please?" I ask.

Markov sighs and walks past me. I hide my grin and follow him. He takes out his key card, taps it against the machine and the glass doors slide open. I follow him as he makes his way up the stairs three floors and through the long dim corridors. Finally, we stop at room 306. He raps against the door and begins to walk back down the corridor.

"You owe me one, Hathaway," he calls out before disappearing around the corner.

"Thanks," I call out after him. At the same time, I hear the door open. My head whips around. "Guardian Belikov-" but my voice gets stuck in my throat and my eyes widen. Belikov stands before me with nothing but a towel draped around his hips. Droplets of water drip down his sculpted chest, clear he's just jumped out of the shower. Ok, I knew Belikov was ripped but seeing him in the flesh makes me realise those tight sweatshirts he usually wears don't do him justice.

"Hathaway, what are you doing here?" he asks, alarmed and seemingly oblivious to the fact that he stands before me in nothing but a _towel_!

"I, I-" I stammer finally looking up at him to see his concern. "I wanted to talk to you," I finish lamely, realising what I actually want to talk to him about probably doesn't warrant me stalking up to his room and disturbing his evening.

I'm about to apologise and leave but Belikov interrupts that school of thought. "Wait there a second," he instructs and closes the door. I cross my arms and start pacing back and forth in front of his door. I take a deep breath and try and recall why I'm here in the first place: ask for permission to escort Lissa to the Royal Court this weekend. And I won't be leaving until I get that permission!

I hear the click of the door opening once more and my head snaps up. This time Belikov greets me wearing his black sweatpants and sweatshirt combo. "Everything ok?" he asks seriously, standing by the door.

"Yeah, I just needed to talk to you about…" I begin slowly but he looks at me intently and I fear myself sounding stupid so I blurt the rest, "I heard Lissa will be attending a meeting with other royals at the royal court this weekend and I need to be there with her."

"Ah," Belikov says with understanding. "Come in," he says, almost in defeat, and he opens the door enough for me to enter.


End file.
